Warriors of the Moon
by SailorSaiyan93
Summary: Time is being destroyed entirely, resulting in the world being torn apart at the seams. Trunks begs Shenron to bring them warriors to help stop this and find shards of the Time Crystal. Can the Scouts adapt to this strange new world, and in turn, lean and maybe befriend their hardened mentors? What role will they have in both of each other's lives? REWRITING! 2nd CH. REWRITE DONE!
1. The Breaking of Time

**Note: Yes, as stated in the description, I am rewriting this. I'm not getting rid of it, but looking it over again, I decided that before I get in too far, I should go back and do over some things. Mainly because after going through it again, I found that some things may not be all that clear. While yes, this story is still a DBZ/SM crossover (category and all), it'll be delving into more detail. While yes, I was planning on revealing as the story went along, I feel that while I still intend to start off with some vagueness to everything, some things needed to be made more clear and whatnot, why some things were the way they were, introduced, but expanded on later. Even still, what was written before will be present, so I will be updating as I go along and here's hoping that it doesn't get too confusing.  
**

 **Once again, I am so sorry for this. Yet I feel that it'll be better this way in the long run. Granted, I sort of laid out the 'blueprints' for the chapters already done, so it won't be too long, hopefully. I apologize deeply to you all.**

 **Especially to Jackalope89, who I hope doesn't mind this too much.**

 **Prologue: The Breaking of Time and Connections Over Time  
**

 **All characters and properties are not my property**

Black.

A black, lightness horizon that, even as he 'stood' in the midst of this seemingly empty space with the only solid surface his feet stood upon were the same objects he set to gaze up at. Large, crystalline structures floating continuously upward in the endlessly expanding terrain into nothing, the ones serving as the 'floor' either moving into place or departing from under where he had previously been walking to join the others, in essence, an ever changing ground he stood upon. They were solid objects, yes, yet they served no purpose. He held no idea as to why they were even here...no. No, he knew well, his golden eyes furrowing in anger. He could see things being played through them: past events. Events that, whether they be from years past or even just a few seconds ago that were just being formed, floated around and reflected in the surfaces of the various crystals that surrounded him. Surrounding him, putting on a show for him, taunting him...it was all the same in the end.

They were reminders of his imprisonment in this damnable place. His own, personalized, little hell hole. "Complete with these little 'decorations' so generously provided to me."

Generously provide indeed. If anything, they were little 'parting gifts' from the first and only place he visited when he had finally managed to accumulate enough of his own power to break through the walls of this small tear in space and time that was made for him. That 'she' made for him…

 **Sometime Ago**

It was a realm situated from all others. From all galaxies of all four directions, both corners of the Other World, everywhere. The winding, ongoing road of the Snake Way was visible in the unnaturally green sky that surrounded the space that appeared to be a small, floating structure of fertile, green grass and two buildings situated atop of it, one far larger than the other, yet both dome shaped. The larger of the two held a large tree growing out of the top, bearing large, golden fruit from its branches that to even those who held no need for extending their lives, looked rather appetizing and tempting to take a large bite out of its surface. Waterfalls ran off the sides of the small structure that floated in space, the water glistening and nothing short of absolutely beautiful. It reminded him of those long gone days in the Heavenly Realm, the better half of the Other World, with that ball of feathers, with her.

The Time Nest. The small, yet beautiful, Time Nest.

Ironically enough, those thoughts were racing through the head of the one who ran not only this realm, yet overlooked the entirety of the endless streams of time itself.

Below from her pursuer's view, a small, young woman of small stature and rose colored skin had been flying forward to seemingly nowhere and everywhere at the same time: anywhere to get away from the multiple blasts of dark energy from above, to protect the large, ivory feathered owl from said blasts, and from 'his' grasp. The only thing that appeared to be form fitting was the dark, sleeveless undershirt that came up to her neck from underneath her vibrant, purple overcoat, her pants mainly covered up from the coat's tail, yet her white, high heel boots could still be seen poking out. Even then, in his and her younger days, she always insisted on wearing something that would compensate for her height, not that she would dare admit to that being the reason. It was endearing, adorable even.

Endearing, adorable...and a cheeky, annoying, little pest that was keeping him from what he had come here for.

The owl was, while more than aware that he and his 'keeper' were in imminent danger, he still continued to flap his wings and attempt to get out of her arms. "KIII!" the bird screeched, the energy of the last blast near to nipping the ends of his long 'beard'. "KIII! KIIIII!" he was creating a fuss, half in urging the one carrying him to 'go faster' as well as 'let him go'. If she would just release him, then he knew where he could go, where he could get help.

"No, I'm NOT letting you go!" the pink woman responded to him. "You want him to take you?!" though she knew that he didn't want to escape her grasp just to try and get away on his own. He was wishing to try and get someone to help, to try and get 'her'. Yet...she could handle this! She could handle him! Hell, she wasn't just another Kai anymore! She was a Supreme! THE Supreme Kai of-

She didn't get to finish her thought as she was forced to made a sharp turn to the right, the large blast of dark, violet energy that came down where she had formerly just been flying over making a large crater into the ground, an ugly, uneven hole in the once flawless, grassy plain. "Kiii..." the owl groaned, yet the woman was quick to respond.

"Hey, it's better than him eating or absorbing you, isn't it?"

"Now, I wouldn't say that." she recognized that voice without any trouble, feeling his Ki having swiftly transitioned from being above to just a few feet in front of her, she hating to admit it, yet she was nervous about turning to see him, even after all this time. She nearly froze entirely when she felt fingers beginning to comb through her magenta colored hair. "It'd be little different from how he is cared for now. He'd be well kept and out of harm's way. No need to worry about things such as nourishment or stretching his wings...well, maybe the latter, but that'll just have to be compromised."

The far smaller woman backed away, taking to readjusting her grip on the still struggling bird, holding him in the crook of her left arm and large, wide, ebony eyes gazing into golden, the owner of the former putting on a brave face. "Tokitoki is not for you to use as you please!" she stated firmly. "Nor was he ever!"

The red haired, well-dressed, male demon chuckled at her bravado. "And you seem just as confident now as you did before that you know ALL there is to know about that old bird, Chronoa."

The aforementioned 'Chronoa' surveyed her attacker, for indeed, it seemed that just as they had last seen one another a few good million years ago, both of them had gained a few changes in appearance. His hair was as red and fiery as it had always been, yet now it was more fanned out as if it were attempting to resemble an actual flame, a golden tiara with the gold shaped to where it appeared that a single eye was over his forehead. Two, red streams went down from the corners of his golden eyes over his pale, grey skin, as well as wearing a ornately detailed, blue overcoat, the golden trims mainly on the upper portions and rounded on the arms. He wore a darker shade of blue pants underneath with a pair of blue boots finishing off the outfit, the toes curling at the ends. Yet the one detail that she had noticed almost immediately was an ivory belt around his middle, a large, red "D" stationed in the middle, and after that, the large staff of bone with a large, red orb stationed at the top.

"Perhaps the title of 'Supreme Kai of Time' has swelled your head since last we had a little skirmish."

"That's right..." Chronoa began, gritting her teeth, trying to forget the feeling of his fingers through her hair, a feeling, and a sensation that millions of years ago when both of them were young that she adored. "You're not looking at just anyone anymore! You're looking at the very keeper of Time itself!" she then pointed a single, stiff finger at the far taller being. "And unlike you, Demigra, I EARNED my title!"

His smile soured, irritation beginning to seep into his features, brow glowering and hand gripping the staff tightening. "Only through me." he clarified. "Only through me did you earn your title, but I earned my title of 'God' through my OWN power! And I definitely need not the approval or 'promotion' of a bunch of other little imps or oafs or follow the constructs put in place to keep me from reaching the full potential of my power!" Demigra's eyes then shifted to the bird still in her arm. "And seeing as you are still not using his power to his full potential, then I think you'd do good to hand him over to someone who will."

Tokitoki, even if she would not like (and he knew she wouldn't), he couldn't wait any longer! Given that Chronoa had taken to holding him with one arm made her fighting against his struggles easier to battle back against, he squirming, writhing around and flapping his wings until finally he managed to escape her. Wasting no time, the ivory owl had made a mad dive underneath another blast of violet energy that emitted from Demigra's palm, flying further and further until he reached outside of the Time Nest's borders...to the door. The door that hopefully, Demigra didn't know of. The door that would hold the help that he needed.

"And where do you think you're going?" the red haired demon laughed, thrusting his hand outward to shot another concentrated blast of his Ki, yet the feeling of a palm pressing firmly against his chest caught his attention, as well as the resulting mixture of a stinging burn that came afterward, the little Kai that had performed the maneuver against him sending him back a few steps. "Well, well..." he coughed out, yet he was far from terribly injured. No, she hadn't done that much damage, not as much as she could've done. Even so, "It seems that you've gotten bolder over the last few millenniums! Well...fine then!" he cried out, slamming his staff down firmly on the fertile patch of earth beneath him. "Come! Let me see if your 'title' has done anything for you!"

 **Presently in the Crack of Time**

"It had, to an extent." Demigra admitted. "Not much, but to an extent, it had. Still not willing to take that power you have in your own hands and make true use of it though." No, she had not changed much, he took it back. Chronoa hadn't changed much at all...yet after his 'visit' when he broke through, he assumed that by now, that the Time Nest would've surely been rebuilt. After all, he had gained these little 'decorations' surrounding him no matter where he went, no matter how far he walked along the crystal platforms that came to form under him with each step he took. 'No need for that.' he though. 'I can float just fine.'

The 'decorations' that the pale skinned, red haired demon had been addressing were the large stones that after a few good yards out from his position, seemingly floating in the empty space, yet their positions were apparently linked to his. Just as black as the empty space between the uneven, jagged crystals of deep blues and violets, yet unlike them, they bore no reflection of things that had come to pass, nor did they seem to float on up forever and ever until they faded from view into nothing. Yet they did reflect something. Or more appropriately, someone...several someones. Someones that he recognized from the reflections of the other, far less structured shards around him. Initially, when he had become aware of them upon his re-imprisonment, there were only five. Yet after a good degree of time, how much truly, he didn't know, a sixth was added to the collection, another bar added to his open yet encompassing cage.

Yet as to why...he knew not how entirely, even in his immense power, he still didn't know all of the abilities available to the Heavenly tribe of Kais, despite having once lived amongst them himself. Yet this...it had to have been one of 'her' ideas. 'The one that damn bird had brought to the Time Nest.' from where exactly, he didn't know, yet he knew well who she was. His unfortunate, yet begrudgingly needed 'help' having relayed that to him.

 **Sometime Ago in the Time Nest**

While he had expected that the small woman would be fighting back, compared to his initial expectations, Demigra found himself surprised. Pleasantly surprised even.

'And here I was wondering if your position had made you grow lazy. Not that it would've been too much of stretch, given your race.'

Still, he was content that the small Kai was making an effort against him, for even if he would achieve what he sought when she was taken care of and rendered incapable of fighting back, it would've been so horribly boring if he had wasted all that preparation without some sort of effort needed. It would've been nothing short of disappointingly anticlimactic. Of course by then, from his blasting down concentrated amounts of his harnessed energy with her either dodging it or countering with a projection of her own energy back, he was beginning to grow a little tired of this 'game'. These light traces of boredom began to show on his pale features, Chronoa's own expression growing soured, the fact he had broken in here and now saw fit to mock her...she was drawn out of these thoughts, however, when her senses alerted her that three balls of violet, pulsating energy were released from the red haired demon, flying directly towards her. Thrusting her palms forward, the Supreme Kai had produced and ejected an equal amount of her own Ki outward, the single sphere of raw energy making contact with, and to her relief, dispelling the three dark spheres that had surely meant to strike her down.

At least that was what she had initially believed, until she had caught Demigra's Ki rapidly shifting position from above the small space that was the Time Nest to right outside of the area's borders, just about to go off in the direction that Tokitoki had flown off no doubt!

'Stupid bird...' Chronoa mentally sighed, practically flinging herself in the larger man's direction after teleporting near enough to make sure he couldn't get away, let alone away from here. Even if that blasted owl was still just as spoiled and haughty as he had been when he was a chick, he was HER stupid bird, and like hell she would simply allow Demigra to get ahold of him.

Yet just as she was about to reach him, the taller demon had disappeared yet again, only to reappear right behind her, though by the time Chronoa realized this, it was all too late. Gripping by the material of her violet overcoat, she was yanked backwards, then feeling the surface of the red orb atop of his staff being pressed into her chest. There was, to her shame, not enough time to react to this as the projection of energy that poured out sent her smaller form flying, streams of dark energy coating her entire body and sending her to the ground, smacking dead center into one of the many craters created in their scuffle. When the dust had settled from the impact, Demigra allowed his airborne body to descend downward, his boots making contact with the ground and then walking forward to where the smaller Kai had landed, soon coming across the seemingly unconscious body of said Kai. Floating downward into the crater, he knelt down towards her immobile form, a small smile curling on his lips as he reached forward and began running his fingers through her darker colored, yet still very pink hair.

"Told you so." he told her, though whether she could effectively listen or not was uncertain. "You're not the only one that's had 'all the time in the world' to improve and push themselves...though I wonder if most of that time's been just simply watching what's happening around you instead of taking charge of it."

It was then though that, as if in response to his statement, the one he was addressing had opened her eyes, wasting no time in quickly rising up and head butting him, though as she flipped over his head and turned around to face him, it was apparent that both of them had suffered some damage from that particular attack, Demigra holding the area she struck whilst the imprint of his 'eye' tiara was made on Chronoa's forehead. Not to mention, her heels, her FAVORITE pair of heels, were caked in dirt. Oh, she had more than few things to say to this ass, yet for now, she settled on what, while it wasn't the questions she was wanting him to answer (as in, how was he planning to pay her back for these), but it was one that held importance nonetheless.

"How?" she huffed, the time that had passed from when they had last done this longer than she thought, having to pause to allow her body a few moments of rest. "Tell me...how did you even manage it?"

Demigra, even amidst the headache she had been directly responsible for, couldn't help the smirk that came to his lips. "Simply put, old friend, when you have nothing more to do than plan and plot out vengeance for a good millennium or two, you'd be surprised at what you can discover for yourself. Especially from reflecting on those times when you have access to a variety of information...a well as time to do some 'experimenting'." her eyes widened. Yes, he had done those things, those were the very things she had to take it upon herself to even seal him up in the first place for! Yet now, now he seemed to indicate that the information kept in the old archives of her former home were not at all forgotten to him. Not that she would think he would, yet still, how did he..."You can thank that ball of feathers for my arrival here. I still haven't forgotten when I had forced him to create a wormhole or two that you closed without any suspicion it was yours truly."

Wormholes...the Kai's blood ran cold. "Are you out of mind?!" she shouted, she caught between both an irate and horrified state. "Do you have any idea what that could do?! You're opening one place of time to the next! And now thanks to you, a void of nothingness is open up to the Time Stream!"

"Oh, calm yourself, little one!" Demigra responded, halfway jesting yet it was also an order for her to be quiet. "I didn't spend all that time going over that information, harnessing and building up my own power to learn to create them on my own to simply allow chaos to flourish!" his golden eyes then situated on the large, domed building adorned with a large, fertile tree producing golden fruit. "No. I think that I'll start right where I left off."

Yes, where he had left off. Though there was no building, nor was there any of where he was currently when he and the small woman had last dueled, though in that time, the woman wasn't proclaimed the Supreme Kai over the very thing he was seeking to harness. Also, like last time, the pink, little woman blocked his path, the two of them locking eyes with each other and neither willing to look away. "Although...it does not have to end with me eradicating you." Demigra began, beginning to near towards Chronoa, yet even if his movements towards her weren't aggressive, she couldn't help but flinch. Even if it had been so long...she had declared the moment the deed had been done, she didn't want to go through it again, to relive those moments, of how he had played her so easily. "You and I were not always in conflict. If you would wish it, with the power I will gain from allowance to the contents of this place, I could-"

He got no further. The words that would've been relayed to the Kai never got the chance to exit his lips as it was then that the cry of Tokitoki filled the air, yet along with his, another source of Ki, a surprisingly strong source, had entered into this plane of existence. Yet from Chronoa's expression, she knew the identity of the source well enough as both shock, yet also relief traced her features, the only other sense that had gotten any sort of information as to what, let alone, who had come into this place were only met with a resounding cry and an encompassing, hot light meeting his vision as the Kai jumped out of the way.

"DEAD SCREAM!"

 **Presently in the Crack of Time**

It was odd. Even now, as he stood here atop an ever changing, sometimes expanding, sometimes solitary platform in the circle of six obsidian stones, the battle after that moment seemed to fade. Everything else to that point had been crystal clear, yet afterward...not a clue. Yet after the new arrival, whoever she was, had performed that technique, this 'Dead Scream', he swore that Chronoa had done something else afterward. Something that lead to him being thrust back in here no doubt, for he remembered distinctly that when he regained his senses (bits and pieces of the mysterious woman fighting against him coming to mind), he was stuck back here...yet with these six new additions surrounding him.

'I shouldn't have wasted my time dealing with her.' he lamented, though it was utterly useless, another fact that he hated more. 'I should've focused solely on getting that damned bird!'

Now he was trapped back here...and with these NEW additions to further keep him trapped! Oh, he had tried: thrown every single attack he had known at the stones around him, around them, even attempting to simply teleport of out the encompassing circle they created...yet all for naught, as they either simply absorbed or sometimes even reflected his own energy back at him!

"A millennia..." he mused outwardly, a habit he developed since his long term isolation began, and from the looks of it, it wasn't going to be curbed anytime soon. "A millennia that I've been confined in this small splinter in time and space...and when I manage to FINALLY strengthen myself to break out..." his teeth furiously ground together at that. So close...he was so DAMN close!

It wouldn't suit him, for he would've had to submit to the ruling dealt to him by King Yemma and then follow whatever those buffoon ogres had ordered (not that they were good at it), maybe he would've found a position amongst Hell's collection more pleasurable. At least he could've tried his hand at poke on Thursdays. He had never played the game before, yet it wasn't like he would have much else to do there. He heard a statement once that King Yemma was cracking down on work hours, but even then, he couldn't have been too sure. If anything, he wasn't even sure if he was confusing poker with go-fish! He had been here so long that such a trivial thing like that was almost a monumental discovery for him! So many things had happened and changed whilst he was kept locked up in this little space that seemed endless, yet still kept him away from the rest of the world!

"Well, looks like not much has changed since we last left." a feminine, coy voice stated, her smooth tone echoing throughout the vacant, empty space, the sound of heeled boots making contact with crystal platforms forming underneath her feet along with another figure coming to Demigra's pointed ears. "Though I see you're doing what you do best: nothing."

Ah yes. Another thing he was despising about this entire situation: the fact that even if he didn't seek it (not that he could), he was forced to 'accept' some form of assistance. Though he didn't trust either of them to their word in the slightest. Turning around to face his speaker, Demigra's golden eyes were met with almost equally piercing, purple ones starting back at him, the slim figure that they belonged to having a well maintained physique and rather sizable breasts that peeked out at the bottom of her red and black body suit where the 'v' shaped hole around her abdomen began. She was obviously not of any race belonging to any quadrant of the universe, the periwinkle skin she bore only a slight indication compared to the aura she was exhuming outward. She was obviously not of any race belonging to any quadrant of the universe, the periwinkle skin she bore only a slight indication compared to the aura she was exhuming outward. Her hair, however, bore no hue whatsoever, a bright, vibrant, snowy white veil that hung on the left side of her head in front of her chest, seemingly either brushed to that side or bearing a longer length than her right. Adorned on her ears was a pair of golden earrings that resembled those worn by an all too familiar tribe of heavenly beings Demigra was familiar with, his own ears adorned with similar jewelry. Her outfit was finished off with a white, open leg cape that began above her hips and ended at her red and black high heels, the cape fashioned to where it was jagged at the bottom.

The far taller and more muscularly built man behind her bore similarities to the smaller woman in more ways than one, yet from the subtle downgrade in his own projected energy compared to hers, it was evident of who was the more dominant one of the two. He appeared to be the same race as the woman, yet he bore a darker shade to his skin, an evident hue of light blue able to be seen, two thing, yet visible lines running down from his fire red eyes and cheeks to where they seemed to disappear under his jawline. He wore a red bodysuit, formfitting, akin to the woman, yet it was far less complex and leaning more on the plain side, yet a chest plate of white armor with a jade section underneath his pectorals and golden bits to the side rested over the red top, the jade bearing two white slashes as if it were a symbol of some sort. Connected to the armor was a strap or large cable of gold that rested on the back of his built neck, giving him a more 'artificial' feel compared to the woman. He also wore cape like pants that completely covered his legs in a dark grey veil, leaving only a pair of red shoes visible from underneath, the pants matching his grey wristbands.

"Oh, but what I am saying?" the woman began, as if she had just realized something vital, though the one she was addressing was more than aware this was for further teasing him. "After all, even trapped in here with nothing to do or any way to utilize your power, you're STILL the God of Time, oh Lord Demigra." she then gave a small, mock bow. As if she would hold any respect for anyone other than herself.

"If it weren't for these here to protect you..." Demigra responded, gesturing towards the completely black stones surrounding him. "Then I'd be more than tempted to kill you where you stand."

"Assuming you could." she retorted, not even fazed by his threat.

"Out with it then, woman. There's a reason you're here, I assume. Outside of tormenting me." the red haired man huffed. "The preparations have been made then, yes?"

"They are being made as we speak." the man answered, yet a sudden pain that came from the woman digging her heel into his foot came at that, an indicator that she had wished to relay that. Nevertheless, she lifted her heel off, giving him silent permission to continue, despite the mild 'discipline' he received. "There are still more trips to be made, yet the bit of 'recruiting' we have done with Hell's residents are ready to serve, whether they said yes or otherwise."

Though it was not seen by him, the smaller woman let her lips curl into a curt smile. 'You can relate to that, can't you, Mira?' she thought. "As for King Yemma, rest assured. It was far from a difficult matter to deal with that oaf." she boasted. "In fact, if I recall correctly, all I had to do was perform a similar method to when that one demon, Jambelya, had imprisoned him last."

Even if his dislike for her was great, Demigra found himself mildly impressed by her knowledge. "You know your history well then, Towa."

The woman, Towa, simply shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I try."

"Then what are you waiting for?" the red haired member of the three said. "Our other ally has probably sent those five to meet and assist you already! Go!"

"Fine. As you wish...Oh Great God of Time." Towa chuckled, turning to make her leave, Mira not waiting a moment or two later to follow suit, they both seeming to walk and walk until it appeared that they had passed out of a 'wall' of sorts, an aura of light, violet energy being created as they inched towards this unseen barrier until they finally faded from sight.

'It's that easy for you.' he observed. 'All you have to do is simply walk out.'

The urge was too much to bear now.

Propelling himself upward, the crystal beneath his boots departing from their former positions, the black, far more oblique and structured in shape, was following his rising body. He rose and rose until he was sure he had reached the top, or at least what qualified as the top, as this realm seemed to be near limitless. Yet the sight above his head was an indication that even with its expansive space, it wasn't endless. Not quite. Just above him, almost as if it had been 'carved' in the black abyss to where not even the crystals seemed to rise was a splintering, jagged, quite frankly, a literal tear in the horizon itself. A crack in the 'sky'...or at least that's what he would've said, if not for the fact that he could see the sky through the thin space, clouds passing lazily by. Outside of the void, he knew that the actual sky wasn't there, it was simply the flow of time going through its motions, the most convenient and relate-able form it could take being that of day and night. Day and night, night and day, day and night, night and day, the cycle always repeating over him, so close that he could almost touch it…

'It won't be long now, old friend.' Demigra mentally declared, smiling and presenting his sharp canines. 'It won't be long until these damned toys you sent with me...you and that other woman...oh, it will NOT be long indeed!' yet even in his excited state, he didn't lose reason.

The ones that he had to turn to when they had discovered him...they would attempt something when these barriers were done with, he knew it. Yet perhaps, even if he very well could deal with the whore and her creation, husband, or whatever he was on his own, he might not have to. If the other ally...if 'she' could be trusted. She had been discovered by Mira and Towa as well, yet not from another time. No, not another time at all. For even in all the millenniums and centuries to even the decades that have passed, there was no record of where this ally, this woman had claimed to hail from. No record of this 'Crystal Tokyo', or its former counterpart, the 'Moon Kingdom'.

 **Sometime Ago in the Time Nest**

It wasn't as if she was ungrateful for the assistance. Even with Tokitoki deliberately disobeying her, it seemed that he had the right idea to go to her, the beating she took in order to make sure he got there notwithstanding, she still making it clear to the bird she was more than a little cross with him, despite his arguments that he was in the right. He held some warrant, yes, yet she didn't care. 'I'm the boss here.' Chronoa declared to herself, forget for a moment of the far taller, and evidently, intimidating figure towering over her.

"Well?" the figure asked, those dark, mahogany eyes boring into her own black ones. "I believe you were going to say something. Something to retort against my observations of what the one you had claimed to seal up almost managed to do."

"I was?" Chronoa just realized what had slipped out of her mouth, mentally kicking herself for even allow it to. "Yeah, I was! And I..." Even if she owed the taller woman much gratitude, she far from cared for her questioning and insinuating on how she did her duty. It wasn't out of maliciousness, yet even her concern felt so cold and harsh. So judgmental of her. "I...if you would've given me a few more minutes, I would've kicked his ass right out of here!" She wondered, possibly, if she still saw her as he did sometimes, as much as their character was so conflicting with each other.

The taller woman sighed, turning her head away, her brow creasing. Clearly, that wasn't something she could agree on and was making it more than clear to the Supreme Kai. "I would like to believe that of you, Chronoa-"

"Hey." the aforementioned Chronoa interrupted. "It's 'Supreme Kai of Time' now." she stated, puffing out her chest. "I call you by your title. It's only fair that you address me by mine...Sailor Pluto."

The Guardian of the Space Time Door was silent for a moment or two, her ruby lips coming apart ever so slightly as if she were considering what to say, only to close them and think on it further. Yet even though the two knew each other well enough, the taller woman saw fit to hide herself away in the darker areas of the place, concealing herself from view. "Fine." hell with it. Even if she wasn't too convinced on the obviously false image she was putting out, she technically WAS a guest in the Kai's personal domain now. Even so, she still held more to say. "Then surely something as this didn't take you by surprise. After all, a watcher of time does not allow such things to occur on their watch." the small, pink woman had nothing to counter with. "I only speak this for your own good and safety." Pluto assured. "Besides, you and that bird are rather fortunate as I'll admit that the harnessing of my powers in this universe is a feat that I haven't done in some time. Though..." another pause, Chronoa sensing that, even with her attempts to mask it, there was a degree of sadness in her voice. "I suppose in a way, I am glad that you called me."

 **Presently in the Time Nest**

The pink haired Kai gazed down at the moving scene before her, a scroll of aged parchment unraveled and laid out before her and relaying these long gone, past events to her. The room, or rather, the building she had been viewing this particular scroll was constructed with a domed ceiling, the roots of the large tree above steadily inching along the upper walls. The walls themselves were of a light, peach color similar to the exterior, though more faded and less saturated, tall lamps that had light directed upwards stationed all along the walls, one beside each of the many platforms of where a scroll similar to the one she was currently surveying rested, each of those scrolls sealed with a white, feather tassel. A feather from Tokitoki himself. The very one that Demigra had come for, and as both she and the scroll remembered, the one of who's protection she and Pluto were discussing from what she was seeing.

Sometime Ago in the Time Nest-Scroll's Recordings

Ah yes, this was when, after who knew how much prodding and prying she had done, that the heir to the dwarf planet's throne had relayed to her of how hers was one of the few thrones that still remained after all this time.

"So..." Chronoa began, her hand shakily going to get the white owl a pat on the head, if just in the need to have something to provide some comfort. "The Moon Kingdom is-"

"Is no more." Pluto finished for her, even in the lit Time Vault, she still resigned herself to standing concealed in shadow, keeping her form hidden. Partially, as the light managed to catch some of her tanned legs and armored midsection. Her form here, while not a complete departure from her usual form when harnessing her powers, it bore some notable 'differences'. "At least, it shall be such until the thirtieth century." though her tone was not in any way enthusiastic, it at least appeared that she held some solace in this fact. "Then my, no, OUR Queen shall rule once again." and if Chronoa and Tokitoki were not mistaken, was that a smile tracing along her lips? "In fact, it will soon be the anniversary of when she first came to power."

It was then that the secondary Guardian of Time felt something feathery, yet plush rub against her leg. Looking down to see Tokitoki offering his head if she needed something to pet, she seemed touched, yet ultimately pushed the gesture aside. Besides, sentimentality wasn't what she was even here for.

Presently in the Time Nest

She skipped a lot of what came next, for mainly, it was little more than the two of them going back and forth on the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the situation that had just transpired. 'Who', well, neither of them needed an answer for that. 'What' was answered as well, the very place they were in as well as the one she was standing in currently being what was in jeopardy, as well as that bothersome bird. 'When'...well, then, it was just now. 'Where', answered. 'Why', also answered. 'How' though...that was what threw both Pluto and Chronoa for a loop. Obviously, the previous sealing that the Kai had done, while it kept up for a good while (something she made a good point of to the taller woman), it still stood that neither of them were counting on Demigra being able to master the creation of wormholes using his own Ki. 'And he learnt that from all he had done to Tokitoki too. Well, not ALL of it...' yet she wasn't ready to go to that place again, even now. Not just yet.

"I think I have an idea." she heard herself say; though her voice had come from the contents of the scroll she was viewing. "Good thing you're here too, because it's going to involve that little 'gift' you gave me when we first met, and..." she saw herself gesture to her own chest. "Some knowledge of how things work back where you live. Because your Ki, or your energy...it all originates from somewhere, something inside, right? It isn't just one's own will and heart."

It was then that she closed the scroll; setting it back onto the stand she had taken it from. The information and procedure done that was contained there...if it was just her and Tokitoki, she wouldn't have to worry too much, yet now...now there were far more chances of prying eyes and ears. Even if Demigra's seal had been strengthened due to what she and Pluto had done, and no one here would betray her...even still, she didn't want to take too much of that risk. Not again.

As Chronoa had held the rolled up parchment in her hand, even if it was closed to her, the events of that day were still clear in her mind after all this time. Particularly when she was basically forced to tell the stern woman about the events associated with a particular individual named Cell and a young man that had found the means to travel through time...along with how she had doubted her 'plan' was even going to work.

 **Sometime Ago in the Time Nest-Scroll's Recordings**

"Well?" it took a moment for her to get what Pluto was insinuating, Chronoa not understanding the graveness that she was projecting. "What do you plan to do with him?"

"Certainly not what you'd do." Chronoa immediately made clear.

"Then WHAT will you do?" the tan skinned woman questioned again. "He had broken the laws and boundaries of time and space. Such an act possibly would have lead to catastrophic results."

"But it didn't!" the Kai retorted. "Plus, it wasn't as if he was doing it out of malicious intent! It was for the greater good!" she had to think of something and something fast, Pluto far from approving of her leniency over such an act. "Besides, that one man, Goku-"

"The Saiyan you've informed me about? One of only few remaining?"

"Yeah, him. He would've been dead in a few years thanks to a heart virus had it not been for that young man going through time."

"It seemed to have done little good as he's dead now. This 'Cell' managed to kill him. And you wanted to use his life force to strengthen Demigra's new seals using that insane idea of yours."

"It's not insane!" she defended. "If he still exists, even in the Other World, then his Ki still technically exists too. It only becomes defunct if he's somehow erased from existence."

This was getting neither of them anywhere, nor was it progressing the initial, cooperative operation that was being done, yet Pluto couldn't deny that even with the truth of what Chronoa had just relayed, she lacked confidence in the little woman. It wasn't out of some sense of inflated ego or pride (at least not entirely), yet what she had seen and the fact that Tokitoki had to brave the walls he did to ensure that this place was kept intact...she didn't want anything to be left to chance, let alone not enough security.

"So, it's obvious that you don't like my idea." Chronoa huffed, indicating hurt. "I assume that's because you have a better one-"

"Not exactly." the Kai tilted her head in confusion, Tokitoki, standing by her, doing the same. "The ones you're tying to the shards we broke off...I think you may need more than just them."

"What do you mean?"

"Think. If this place were destroyed, then it would not just be Earth that would be in peril. The entire universe, the fabric of time itself. Just five-"

"I could always add more as time goes on." Chronoa added. "Besides, if I'm right, Goku's wife will be discovering she's carrying another child soon."

"Even then, I'm willing to offer other sources to strengthen them." before she could ask what she meant, she felt the taller woman place a hand on her uncovered shoulder. "They are yet to be born, yet in Crystal Tokyo, they lie. They will be no help in the state they're in now, yet before that time, when they were ready and able, when they are awakened on Earth...should this place and time ever be in peril...they will come. But first..." she rose to her feet, gazing out of the vault's entrance. "I will need to show you them first."

 **Presently in the Time Nest**

It was then that Chronoa was glad she had decided to take that particular scroll off of its stand, slipping it into her oversized overcoat. She didn't entirely understand why the urge to take this particular one into her own personal chambers (if a one story house cluttered with junk counted as such), yet at the moment, she found herself struck with a near unrelenting compulsion to take it with her. What was contained in it, the events that followed...her visit to said Crystal Tokyo...indeed, much HAD changed. In retrospect, it at least seemed to be a better future than the one he, her first and 'second in command' had hailed from.

'Lucky for you that probably won't happen.' she remembered saying to the taller woman.

'It won't.' Pluto affirmed. 'Neo Serenity has no need for such, and Small Lady-' it was then that she noticed a sudden shift in her demeanor. As if she were bearing some sort of softness in her usual, stony, features. In that small moment, Chronoa swore she saw her almost appear 'motherly'. '...she's better disciplined than that.'

'Yeah, we'll see.' she remembered retorting back. 'Y'know, that heiress' and Prince's child sort of remind me of your kingdom's little princess.' the latter portion, she wished to say, yet the fact that the Guardian hailing from another universe even had to summoned made her more than aware she wasn't in a humorous mood that day. 'Course when was she ever?' the Kai currently thought, beginning to make her way out of the Time Vault. 'I wonder...if maybe it does happen, and not that I hope you do indeed die, but what would it be like for you if you're reborn? Would it be good for you? Would you still have to carry on with what you did before? Or...'

Her thoughts at that very moment ceased. Stopped completely, mainly because her senses alerted her that something was not entirely right.

Near the north of where she stood from the entrance and looking around, her eyes caught one of the scrolls stationed in the room beginning to emit a strange, bizarre, dark glow. "What in the world?" her boots creating light echoes as she made her way towards it, she reaching down and plucking it from its holding place. Something was going on, she was sure of it, yet what?

'Well, one sure way to see...' removing its binding that held it rolled up, the pink skinned woman unraveled the parchment and gazed upon its recorded contents, not noticing any oddities of any sort...at least not a first.

 **Scroll's Contents-Age 774**

The pink creature thrust his hand forward, the massive, nearly all encompassing energy of the large concentration of energy nearly about to take him completely had he not intercepted it. Even with him using whatever amount of Ki he held left to spare, it still seemed to be inching ever and ever closer to him. The sheer amount that inched nearer and nearer, even simply keeping it away was, to his surprise, near impossible. The palms of his watermelon colored hands began to suffer a horrible, burning sensation, the being only exerting his energy more and more outward in a desperate attempt to keep this collective onslaught against him away. This...this couldn't be it. This couldn't be the end of him!

He...he had forced that pathetic, so called 'Prince' to blow himself up to try and get rid of him when he first emerged, that attempt failing miserably! Then the other Saiyan, he had beaten back as well! He had conquered that fat, stupid, pink blob that had developed some stupid bond with that phony champion, Mr. Satan! That buffoon...he was mainly the one responsible for all of this energy being directed at him now! Yet...yet he would not die! He COULDN'T die!

He was Majin Buu! Even if he had been reduced to a smaller form compared to what he had been before, he was still Majin Buu! No one could stop him! Not that Prince, not that other Saiyan, not even their children or the Namekian that had prepared them all in vain! Then...then the very planet they were trying so hard to defend and protect had been vanquished by his powers! He was unstoppable! He was unconquerable! He would not fall! Not now! Not to anyone, especially not to this Goku!

'Me Buu kill...' the strangely shaped being thought, reciting this threat against the Saiyan's life as he continued to try and exert more and more energy to keep the Spirit Bomb back. 'Me Buu kill you! ME BUU KILL YOU!'

It was faint, his concentration not allowed to deter from the task at hand for a moment, yet his ear holes picked up some sort of sound, even that over the several voices that belonged to the sources of energy powering the Spirit Bomb. That Saiyan, he was speaking. Something about how it had to end like this and how maybe he would come back as a better person...

'Piss off.' Damn him. Damn him, damn that Prince, damn the Kais, damn the Earth, damn the entire Other World, damn it all! It was coming closer! Damn them! DAMN THEM ALL!

Perhaps though, had he not been so intently focused on that, he would've noticed how the entire environment around him seemed to be growing more and more slow paced, as if time itself was being slowed down...

"Quite a show, is it not?" Mira observed, he and his 'beloved' standing atop of a high up formation, far away from any other present at this scene, concealing their Kis from detection, lest they be spotted and their mission compromised.

"Whatever." Towa snorted, gripping her staff tightly. The very sight of the creature was only more of reminder of the disappointment she felt at the fact she simply couldn't leave him to die. As much as this Goku held potential to become a thorn in their sides, she could at least credit him with this abomination's destruction. "As long as that wench does her job, that's all I care about."

Hm, even during 'assignments', she still retained the same attitude to Buu. Mira supposed it couldn't be helped, she only tolerating doing this due to the fact that it would bring them closer to breaking Demigra's seals...leaving him ripe for his and her picking. Although, he was wondering one thing. "Would he even be willing to assist?"

"He won't have a choice." his darling stated. "There was no use in conversing with him in Hell due to the fact his brain's little more than a collection of violet, destructive urges. Not that I'm entirely against that, yet power without the knowledge of how to use it makes said power useless. Yet that power is what he wants back, and in this way, he'll get it. Just under our command." she snarled through gritted teeth.

Down below, on far lower terrain, unknown and unseen by the few present here, two figures began to inch their way towards the waning, yet still struggling Buu. Only one had Ki to conceal, for the other traveling with her held no energy of its own. At least not it could call its own. The aforementioned 'wench' with a strange being, ready to put the plan into action.

'With this...' the 'wench' thought, her oversized, red ribbons and exaggerated, golden blonde pigtails blowing back from the sheer force of the Spirit Bomb, more than aware she would have to act fast lest both she and her 'friend' be consumed along with it. Yet if they could get this right, that moment wouldn't come. At least not for Buu. 'With this we'll be closer.' she turned to the creature beside her, its form barely visible from the light of the Bomb, yet she could see the outlines of its unnatural, jagged and bent form. "You know what to do. Go." she ordered, the creature turning its attention towards Buu, inching closer and closer along with the blonde until...

Buu found his head forcibly pushed back, the sensation of something piercing his flesh, whilst not painful (the cry he emitted was just due to surprise, he told himself), he definitely felt something wrong with it. It wasn't as if something was just 'biting' him, no, as the 'teeth' or whatever they were, he couldn't see the figure too well, kept themselves lodged in his skin, he felt some of his Ki, his very life force beginning to seep out of him. He felt himself being drained. Yet before he could retaliate against this thing that dare attack him, especially given with what he was trying to keep back, a pair of hands placed themselves onto his shoulders, soon feeling the figure yank him back and performing Instant Transmission, taking him with them before any sort of protest could be said.

The creature, even if it had just managed to take a small amount of the creature's energy, it was more than enough at that moment. It had to act fast; Towa's slowing of time would be up soon, so it had to take its position. Its form...his form. It was elated, beginning to shift the consumed Ki throughout its body, the angular, misshapen proportions of its limbs beginning to straighten and shorten...growing pink skin and a pair of white pants. It was becoming something...it was becoming someone. Someone whose memories, whose life force was allowing it to be something that existed! To be someone! Even if it was someone evil, it didn't care! It was part of something! It was part of-

Its thoughts ceased as the flow of time was once again restored, the Spirit Bomb consuming what had appeared to be the form of Kid Buu, body being consumed and disintegrating as the blue mass of energy utterly and thoroughly destroyed him.

 **In a Plane of Existence, Separate yet Near**

 **Azabu Juban, Tokyo**

 **Late One Night**

She couldn't stop herself, the small cry of fear or just the sudden rush of her senses becoming aware she was indeed in the waking world being too much for her to take, Usagi opened her mouth to release it, her fingers clasping hard onto the bed sheets. Oddly silky, white, thin bed sheets.

Oh. Yeah...how could I forget?' indeed, how could she forget? In retrospect, she suspected that she possibly would, she still unable to remember when study sessions were, even when she had turned eighteen last month. All of them were eighteen now. All of them...

"Usako?" a masculine, yet smooth voice drowsily said, the blonde, bun-less girl turning to her left, her almost unnaturally long locks draping over the covers themselves. The figure that had addressed her by that name, his name for her, slightly opened his deep, blue eyes, the pale moonlight shining down on both of them, she taking immediate notice of his toned, upper body that the sheets didn't cover. "What's wrong?" though still somewhat in a daze, Mamoru propped himself up on one arm, gazing at the young woman stationed in his bed with him. "Was that you that made that noise just now?"

Usagi shifted her eyes a bit, biting on her lip; surprised, yet also sort of ashamed he had heard her. "Y-Yeah." she confessed, keeping her form covered. Somewhat ironic, considering what they had just done a few hours ago. "Sorry about that. Weird dream."

The black haired, young man quirked a brow at that. Though perhaps it may have been just that, a weird dream, if he could count on one thing, his own personal relationship when it came to nightly visions, there was very little chance for there to just be a 'weird dream' and nothing else to it. The one next to him was more than enough proof of that. "That's it?" was he being a little invasive? Perhaps, yet then again, from his own experience, usually it was never just that. "What did you see?"

What did she see...she had to chuckle a bit. "Isn't that a good question?"

"Well, what did you see exactly?"

"I don't really know." she simply replied, turning over and burying her face in his bare chest. "I'm tired though, Mamo-chan. I wanna go back to sleep."

She didn't want to make it seem as if he was bothering her. Well...he sort of was, yet not intentionally. He was just wishing to help, that was all, yet truthfully, and Usagi needed some time to go over what she had just seen as well. Let alone why it gave her the jolt that it did. Thankfully, Mamoru seemed to take the hint and settled back down with her, her ears listening intently to his own breathing as it steadily lulled her back into a still, silent slumber. Maybe she could talk with him about it, yet not now. Not tonight. She would mention it to him later, mention to the girls later, but not now, not tonight. Not on this perfect night. A night she had been putting off, for more reasons than one, yet it wasn't because she didn't hold any love for him. Far from it at all, it was just that...well, she didn't want to think about it right now. Frankly, she had been doing everything she could to not think about any of it right now. Yet the reason she was so persistent to be with him, to be 'intimate' with him tonight...well...it would just be a few days until the twentieth of July. Second term would be starting. Second term of her last year of high school. After that...well, she already had in mind what was going to happen. They all did, and yet...no. She...she didn't want to delve into it. Besides, it wasn't as if it was anything bad.

'The Galaxy Cauldron...'

It was all going to be fine. She and Mamoru...and maybe eventually, Chibiusa would be starting out all together soon. That was the way it was supposed to be, right?

'It's still alive...you didn't go through with it.'

Yes. It was the way it was supposed to be. It was...and yet...

'It's still alive, and it will come back.'

That dream. Even now, after she had promised herself she wouldn't found her mind wandering and picking out details. Notably, a muscled, wild haired man seemingly floating aloft, projecting a large, blueish-white orb against a strange, pink creature. Then two figures went in, one of them, dare she say, looking rather similar to herself (or at least from what she could tell, the light form the orb or blast or whatever it was made it difficult to see) took the pink creature and the other she didn't even know who, let alone, what it was began taking his shape before it was engulfed by the light. She held no idea what that was, who the man was, who or what the pink thing was, or basically anything else. Yet, for some reason incomprehensible to her, Usagi somehow just knew, just 'sensed' that what she had seen...wasn't exactly what was supposed to take place. There was a break in the events that were supposed to follow, an alteration. An alteration that, even know, as consciousness began to fade away from her, she felt would somehow involve her.

'Should this place and time ever be in peril...they will come.'

 **Note: Huh, even my prologues now are 10,000+ words. So yeah, I am very sorry for this, but as it stands, I'm not satisfied with the fic as it is now, and while I will implement and take sections from the previous written portions of it in further chapters, ultimately, I will try to improve on and add onto what was already there. While I don't consider myself that good of a writer, it helps mellow me out and I do enjoy it, as much as I can stress over it having to be 'perfect', even if a number of errors have gotten past me before, once again making me rather poor in that regard. But with that out of the way, here's hoping that while there is some mystery, there's not too much in the dark, and that's there's just enough to leave for intrigue. Also, thanks for putting up with all of my bull so far. Especially Jackalope89.  
**

 **Anyhow, please give your input if you see fit, tell me if you like the rewrite so far, maybe some things you'd be interested in seeing, and if there were any mistakes you caught that I didn't. Thank you all very much.**


	2. Concerns of the Future!

**Note: 26588 words, not counting this A/N. While I'm glad I'm able to write longer chapters, I don't want to keep you guys waiting too long. I'm also thinking of posting on other places as well, such as Archive and DA (being that PDF files can bypass the 10000 word limit, plus I can add images). Anyhow, I am so sorry that this took a good month and a half. While it is just the first chapter, I want to get things set up. It'll go as it went the first time around (as in, first version of chapter 1), but with different elements and whatnot. Anyhow, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1: Concerns of the Future! Time is being Corrupted?!**

 **All characters and settings © of their respective owners**

A month now. A month since the bun-headed blonde had rested together in the bed of her dear Mamoru...yet she still didn't entirely grasp as to why she was keeping that particular moment of time in her brain. Granted, the night was lovely, in more ways than one, yet it wasn't as if that was the only time she had seen the black haired man. They had shared a handful of outings since then, school once again starting up making them not as frequent, yet still, they held time for each other. Of course, this didn't come in the way of her friends either, far from it. If anything, Usagi's four long time companions were the people she was spending a good majority of her time with outside of her own family and those at school, more so now that the semester had started up again.

But...there was always a 'but'.

'But what about...what you saw that night?'

Indeed, what about it? Usagi, despite what her test scores had shown, she wasn't a total imbecile...maybe just a 'little' bit of one, but not entirely. Frankly, she didn't want to think about it right now, for there was nothing that she could say to even come close to an answer for it. It was just a bizarre dream, which was all. Just a bizarre, strange...yet very real, almost too real dream. Yet it was just that, a dream. That's all it was, right? Just a dream…

She had to tell herself that just to keep her mind off of it. That, as well as the bevy of subjects and schedules that had started up again for all of them. At first, Usagi more than readily displayed her intense hatred for having to set the alarm and cram her head with whatever mind boggling texts the instructor's ordered them to recite and drill into their brains, yet as the days turned into weeks, and now a month, she found that she was adapting to the extreme shifts from her once school free period. Albeit, as well as she could, but still, she had adapted. She felt she had to be given some credit as she had been arriving to her and the girls' Study Buddy sessions only a couple minutes late compared to before.

All five young women were currently attending one of those sessions at that very moment, the humid, summer air and intense heat shut out from the small room that was once again being used by them in the Hikawa Shrine. True, it couldn't be shut out entirely, yet total concentration was needed at that moment: the day of another horrible, dreaded Calculus test was approaching, and Usagi had just completed a 'mock' test that Ami had concocted for each of them to go over. The other four had gotten their copies done and graded; now it was finally Usagi's turn. Having handed the sheet back, all that was left was to simply wait until her copy was graded, a task that in itself, the blonde still didn't understand how Ami could do it so quickly.

"Well…" from outside, the environment was completely and total serene. The sun shining down upon the shrine's grounds, the leaves on the surrounding trees a deep, healthy green to reflect the season, along with the repetitive, rhythmic buzzing of cicadas. "I must say, your timing was rather nice. You finished a good twenty minutes or so before the class would've ended." Two crows that stayed on the shrine's grounds perched up in one of these healthy trees, yet given their status as being 'residents' of the shrine itself, especially with the young priestess here, they were commonly referred to as 'Rei's crows'. They even held names of their own: Phobos and Deimos, hauntingly fitting given the alternate title their 'owner' held. They too, took to reveling in the calm environment the perpetuated around the entire grounds on this day. "But…" indeed, it would need the work of the devil himself to spoil such a day. "The score still comes to around sixty-four percent."

Their prediction was somewhat off in that.

"WHAT?!"

Either the devil or the bun-headed young woman housed in their 'owner's' home.

Usagi's hands slammed hard down onto the wooden table, the action earning a fierce glare from Rei, her dark eyes translating her thoughts of 'Be careful of how you treat MY stuff!', even if it was more than likely the raven haired, darker uniformed priestess had done so herself more times that she could count. Hell, the last study session they held was one of those times.

Though she was a little taken aback by the suddenness of it all, the short haired young woman, to her own growing dread, suspected that this would be the outcome. "I'm sorry, Usagi." Ami answered, averting her cerulean eyes from the blonde's watering ones. It wasn't as if she was wishing to make her upset, truly, she didn't. Yet that was all the more reason that she couldn't up and lie to her, thus sabotaging the potential to improve. "But time aside, the score still would've meant you failed."

No, she didn't hear wrong. Ami wouldn't lie; she couldn't lie even when she wanted her to, yet after all that?! After all that memorizing and looking through page after page of that damned, stupid book until her brain was throbbing in her skull?! Granted, if she had said this aloud, it probably would've been declared as her simply exaggerating, but it was true, dammit! All of that, and she STILL failed?! "Sniff...sniff...ughhhhWHAHHH!" there was no holding it back now, Usagi's trademark waterworks being activated and her mouth spreading wide in a high pitched wail of self pity and woe.

It was doomed to happen, yes, yet that didn't make the result all the more unwanted, let alone awkward for everyone. Ami simply gazed towards either Rei or Minako on the opposite sides of her, silently pleading with both, or at least one that would be receptive, to do something.

"That's SO not fair!" Usagi continued to wail. "I studied those notes ALL night, last night!"

"Oh yes, you studied ALL night." In the corner of the small room, a pair of cats rested on a spare cushion, one white and the other black. The black feline, female and bearing a crescent moon on her forehead narrowed her ruby red eyes at the weeping blonde, as if to say 'you knew that this was going to happen. "Or what was left of it before you were forced to go to bed because you spent MOST of that time playing that new Sailor V game."

"And why is that a bad thing?!" Usagi immediately retorted, the black cat only shaking her head. "It was the day I managed to finally get enough allowance money to get it!" as if to demonstrate that this was some sort of grand effort on her part, she held up her bandaged fingers for all to see. "And that in itself was through a ton of extra chores that mom had me do! Think of all that I've sacrificed and gone through to get some enjoyment from something I worked to earn!"

"Oh, would you stop the melodrama? No matter how much you cry about it, it's still your own fault." Rei spoke up, finally reaching her limit on 'listening to Usagi whine' for the day. "The fact that you still have an allowance at your age is one thing, yet even now, your test scores are like this? It's a wonder how you even manage to pass the entrance exams in the first place."

"Aw, c'mon, Rei." the bow wearing blonde that, if Usagi had let her hair down (and perhaps cut it a few good feet), they'd be near identical twins, spoke. "You don't have to go in for the kill like that."

"Only way that she seems to learn from." the raven-haired priestess retorted. Harsh as she was, and it wasn't as if she was unaware of it, her intent was to help the bun-head to try and motivate her.

"Still, no need to be so mean." Minako sighed, going over and beginning to pat the now sitting Usagi on her head, as if to comfort her.

"Sniff...you're the only one that's ever on my side, Minako." the other blonde thanked through decreasing, yet still present, small sobs.

"Of course I am. That's why I'm your favorite!" this of course earned her a glare from the other two girls present in the room, the cats included. "I'm kidding!" Minako defended. "Besides, she might be my Princess, but Artemis and I go WAY back, don't we?" she glanced at the ivory furred cat, of whom rolled his sapphire blue eyes, yet as if to say 'oh you'. "I'm probably going to be flunking this test too, so that just means the two of us are going to be make up partners again."

This remark actually managed to earn a light chuckle from Rei. Of course that would be the reason the bow headed blonde was so lax about this. Yet unlike her, Ami didn't see anything humorous in her statement.

"Shame on you, Minako." the azure haired student chastised. "You see, this is why midterms and finals are always so stressful for you two!"

"I think you mean that they're stressful for everyone but you, Ami." Minako answered back. "Mainly because most of that stuff doesn't just magically embed itself into our skulls like you're somehow able to-"

"I'm dead serious about this." Ami interrupted, politeness and general courtesy momentarily forgotten. "Granted, I'm probably...no, I know I'm repeating myself, but right now, more than ever, this year's grades count. Especially since that this is the second half of our final semester this year."

She didn't mean to do it, Usagi knew. Ami, even in her reminding and urging to take her studies more seriously, she never intended to intentionally make her upset or hurt her. 'Second half of our final semester...' when those words made their exit through her lips, the blonde felt them strike her like a brick, her entire form gaining a sudden, piercing chill. The second half of the semester...the final semester...their final year.

Yet this sudden shift didn't seem to register too much with anyone, or perhaps they didn't even notice as the conversation continued on. "At least you're doing decently in Home Economics." Rei mentioned. "Money management would have to be a skill you need to have some sort of grasp of."

It riled her up, yes, yet in the back of her mind, Usagi was grateful for Rei's little jab. At least it allowed her to partially get away from reflecting on what Ami had just relayed to everyone. "Hey, I have more than just 'some sort of grasp' on it!" she retorted. "I earned that game through work with my OWN money!"

Minako couldn't contain herself, giggles slipping through as Usagi was rendered speechless for a moment, yet that moment didn't last long as angry grumbling began emitting from her, talk of how Rei was only saying that because she 'sucked' at video games in general (this in itself wasn't entirely true: though not a pro, Rei STILL somehow managed to best Usagi whenever she actually convinced her to play something at the arcade). Also, whilst Ami herself found these somewhat amusing as well, first and foremost, this WAS supposed to be a study session that one of them (perhaps two if Minako was to be taken into account) needed some tutoring right away, and right now, none of that was being addressed or getting done. Even more as well, one of their own had been absent for the entirety of Usagi's test taking, and while she got a passing grade on her little pre-test, it was still a few points away from being an average grade-

"Here it is!"

Well, the missing party was taken care of now. Having opened the doorway to the small room, garbed in her uniform akin to the rest of them, yet sporting a pink apron atop of it, a tall, full haired brunette sporting a rather volumized ponytail made her way into the small area, her hands carrying a large platter in one hand and plastic forks in the other. "Sorry to keep you guys waiting." Makoto apologized, setting down the platter and forks, taking a spot beside Ami. "But my fridge is having some problems and I didn't want the icing to be all melted, so I had to store it in a cooler."

Oh, so THAT'S what that thing was for! They all had seen her carrying it to the shrine, yet she didn't let it slip on what it was for, saying it was a 'surprise'. Yet with what was in front of them, it was certainly a surprise worth waiting for. Even if these sessions weren't exactly everyone's favorite things (being together wasn't the problem, yet everyone besides Ami could attest that they didn't necessarily enjoy going over notes and whatnot), the silver lining was that if it was a particularly important session, such as studying for a test, there was almost always a guarantee that Makoto would whip of something scrumptious. On the white platter were squares of a darkly colored, yet sweet smelling, decadent chocolate cake with slightly lighter colored, yet still equally delicious frosting...and everyone, especially Usagi, didn't know if they could restrain themselves much longer.

"Well?" the brunette inquired, setting a set of paper plates out that she had carried in as well underneath the platter. "You don't need my permission or anything! Dig in!"

"YAY!" well, if she insisted, she was more than happy to oblige! Usagi immediately swiped a plate and fork, one of the squares disappearing in what could've only been a millisecond slower than the speed of light, her inclination for sugar already indulging itself the moment she taken the square from its former place.

Minako, Rei, and Ami eventually followed, Makoto rubbing her fingers on the apron. "Now, let me know what you think, really." she affirmed. "The icing was from that buttercream recipe I found a few weeks back, so the chocolate might be a bit overpowering compared to the-"

"Yummy!" Usagi's squeal of satisfaction cut off her warning of sorts. "I want to eat this until I explode!"

"Well, there's one solid five stars for you there, Mako." Minako heartedly chuckled, the brunette chef rubbing the back of her head in turn, her cheeks turning pink.

"Well, I was sort of curious because the Culinary Teacher said that the buttercream was sort of a bit too much and the chocolate flavor was sort of subdued-"

"Bah, what does she know?" the bow headed blonde retorted, taking another bite of the dessert. "Old bag told me that chocolate chip cookies would rot people's teeth out."

"Probably because you poured in the entire bag of sugar in the mix." Rei added, Minako at first looking like she was going to protest, yet she found herself wondering if that was a possibility. After all, she kept thinking that the mix wasn't sweet enough, so she just kept pouring in cup after cup.

Ami had finally taken her first bite, her taste buds pleasantly welcomed and bathed in the richness that the baked good provided. "I think that for the most part, the buttercream and chocolate are in good harmony with each other. Of course, this is just coming from someone who's just average at this sort of thing."

Makoto was inwardly cheering that this experiment was of much more success the second time around, and soon, she found herself reveling in her own creation as well, all five of them taking part in devouring the squares of chocolate cake set out in front of them. Though it had taken some time for them to think of it, two plates were set out for Luna and Artemis as well, yet they mainly had to settle with licking off the icing as eating the square without a fork (or hands for that matter) would be rather cumbersome. Usagi Tsukino found herself elated. Even if she had failed her prep test, sweets, especially anything Makoto made, always managed to send those disappointments away for a time, her entire oral cavity consumed with the ever-rising chocolate ecstasy.

At least it would have, if she didn't hear what came next.

"So which school are you planning to go to?" Makoto turned her head swiftly towards Ami, puzzled as to what, let alone why she had just asked such a thing.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, not saying that it's impossible." Ami continued, setting down her now empty plate. "But there's a better chance of succeeding in a career if you have some sort of further education backing you up."

"Why would she even need that in the first place?" Minako asked, taking another bite of the piece she had. "All Mako wants to do here is open up a bakery. Way I see it, she's pretty much set."

"In a sense, I would be able to agree." Ami replied. "Yet even something as minimal as an associate's degree can make a great deal of difference, whether someone is wishing to open their own business or seek out potential employers. Experience is ultimately what's important."

'A bakery...yes. Mako, she did mention such a thing several times.' Usagi reflected, more than grateful that her mouth was currently stuffed with cake. At least it'd prevent her from possibly allowing what was forming in her mind to accidentally spill out from her mouth. 'But...she won't be able to. She won't get to do any of that because she'll be bound to her duty.'

Of course, it was then that Minako allowed the more fantastical possibilities to take reign of her thoughts. "Hey, maybe you could get yourself into someplace like Le Cordon Bleu Tokyo! Or even Hattori Nutrition College!"

"No way." Rei protested. "Not saying that it wouldn't be cool to see Makoto here become the next Iron Chef, you seem to be forgetting the factor of whether or not she even has the means to pursue such a thing. Isn't the repair being done to your refrigerator taking a bit out of your pocket already?"

Though she didn't really count on her taking on any of those schools, the brunette found herself intrigued at the potential possibilities, yet Rei's observation served as the reminder that indeed, living on her own, she didn't exactly have money pouring out of her pockets.

'Don't say that!' Usagi wanted to protest. 'Mako would be amazing! She'd knock anyone that'd be her competition dead!' then was glad she couldn't exactly speak at the moment. 'She would...if she could.'

"Although..." the raven haired young woman began again. "Should she wish to pursue such a thing, and should she need any help..." she took another square from the platter. "The Shrine could always have a little bake sale with some of these babies here."

As much as was pleased to hear that the one critique she received wasn't a fact for her experiment, Makoto, at this point, was thinking that their talk was getting a little too much. "Hey, c'mon now!" she exclaimed. "I'm not really about all that! I just want to open up a little shop of my own, that's all!"

Yeah, that was all. She had always called her ambition, her dream, one mainly rooted in simplicity. It wasn't as if she couldn't do it either, hell, as far as Usagi was concerned, anyone that would say that they didn't like her cooking didn't know the first thing about good taste! Course all the same, what would it matter in the end? She wasn't going to get to do any of that. Not if she was going to be attending to her duties. Duties assigned to her, her will notwithstanding.

"See, there's a problem right there!" Minako began to protest. "You can't just settle for something small if you have the potential to go big!"

"If anything, it's probably best that Mako here wants to go for something more small scale." Ami interjected. "As even if it is a possibility, it's a slim one. And I'd think she'd hold more security in running her own shop than having a spot on reality television."

She wouldn't though, Usagi thought, as much as she tried and struggled to keep those realizations out of her head. Makoto wouldn't have her dream. None of them would. Even if it had been two years since they had called upon the powers gifted to them, from a time long ago, their fates were still decided. Nothing had changed really...especially since she had made the decision for them when she had the chance to. In that void...when it could've maybe been destroyed once and for all. Yet even then, that wouldn't be the best either.

"Just as much of a possibility that you're going to be the next face teen boys experience arousal at the sight of." Rei promptly corrected. Even with the popularity and still ongoing franchising of 'Sailor V', of which Minako hadn't seen a single yen for, Minako was no stranger to hearing this. Artemis himself was probably the one she heard it from the most. Yet unlike the ivory furred feline, the blonde held the perfect comeback for her darker haired comrade.

"I'll just keep that in mind when I DO score it big." she answered casually, folding her arms behind her head. "Of course, seeing as we're buds and all, I won't hold a grudge for that long. Course if you say sorry NOW, I'd let you get first dibs on the cutest fans I get~."

Oh yeah, that did it! The priestess' once firm features began to contort uncomfortably, once peach skin growing into a far more saturated, vibrant red. "Sh-Shut up!" she responded, though what she was trying to project as anger came out more like a childish squeak. "I wouldn't want them anyway! Men are good for nothing and a hassle anyway!"

Minako quirked her brow. "Though I assumed that Mamoru's company is accepted, right?"

"...he's excused. But only because of Usagi." even if they had a brief period of romantic interaction.

"So where's that leave Yuuichirou?"

Nobody could contain themselves at that, even if the laughter all of them were sharing in was at Rei's expense. Though to be honest, even with her attempting to make it seem as if she was boiling over with rage, the subject of the collective chortling found that in a sense, she had sort of allowed herself to walk right into a trap. Of course, to Usagi's dismay, this bout of humor didn't last, the conversation steadily going back to the time that would come after this semester, Rei, as expected, affirming her place here at the Hikawa Shrine. No surprise there, she had cemented her place here since day one, a good while before either Usagi or Ami had met her, well before her years of discovering who she really was. Ami's future goal had also remained the same: medical school and a doctrine. Way too much work in the bun-head's eyes, but if anyone could do it, it'd definitely be Ami.

Of course, what came next..."So what about you, Usagi?" she swore her heart almost skipped a beat.

The other four almost expected her to nonchalantly admit that she wasn't even paying attention, giving out a little giggle at her absent mindedness, which would earn a sigh from them, then she'd go on to say that she had plenty planned and begin listing them, though most of them would probably be short term goals. Predictable, yet good ol' dango head, Usagi. Yet all that the aforementioned dango head answered with was silence. Silence, and, dare any of them say, a wide-eyed, almost completely terrified look in her deep, blue eyes.

"Usagi?" Rei addressed her, yet still, neither she nor anyone else received an answer. Luna began to rise and make her way over towards the young woman, puzzled and somewhat unnerved by this uncharacteristically quiet behavior. "Hey, Usagi? You hear me?"

"Huh? What?" the blonde with the peculiar hairstyle suddenly asked, whipping her head around to face Rei and the others. "Oh, sorry. Think I zoned out for a bit."

"Uh huh." Rei answered back, not surprised in the slightest. The others began to giggle, Usagi somewhat embarrassed, yet she was more than elated at the outcome. At least she was getting better at concealing it, it seemed. Truthfully, she had wished she didn't pay attention, or at least had the choice not to. "So, what's your plans?" the priestess inquired.

"Plans?"

"Uh, yeah. When school ends, THOSE kind of plans."

"I know what you mean, Rei." she affirmed. "I'm not stupid."

"No, but you're something close."

She scowled, at least outwardly. Inside, she had hoped it would go like this. Sure, Rei's remarks weren't the nicest, yet it was something that she linked with her, something she recognized and familiarized herself with. Something that was normal and stayed with them even after all this time...something she hoped wouldn't have to go away.

"Well?"

Lovely, it seemed she wasn't going to be getting out of this one. If she said she didn't want to talk about it, she'd get a good amount of stares and not to mention, suspicion. She had to answer now, and...so far, it hadn't changed much. Not that it could now. "Well, getting married to Mamoru for one."

"Of course." her other four friends responded in unison, and if her ears heard right, even the two cats joined in.

"Surely you don't expect Mamoru to solely provide for you though." Ami interjected.

"Why not? I'm going to be welcoming him home and making dinner. Isn't that enough?" Usagi asked. Truly, that hadn't crossed her mind, yet with what was coming, money wasn't going to be an issue. No, what would come would make her wish and beg for such things to be an issue.

"In this day and age, sadly no." the azure haired girl sighed. "Though...the only thing is, do you have any particular field you would be interested in?" Usagi began to open her mouth to answer. "And no. A homemaker, while not having a bad range of skills to have, doesn't get you a salary."

Well...she was lost on that one. Yet surely Mamoru wouldn't need that much. Besides, he was the one in university, so he was the one closest to having his foot in the door than she did, then she probably ever would. But...

'He won't even get that far. And even if so, your decision has been made.'

"Usagi?"

'You didn't stop it, didn't end it when you had the chance to.'

"Hey, Usagi? Are you alright?"

'It's been two years. It was destroyed. And you know by now that it will come back. So you must prepare.'

"Usagi?"

'At the age of twenty-two was when you established your kingdom.'

She had no answer. At least not one that she was sure that she could be comfortable sharing openly. So, as before, "Mako?" she went for what was familiar. "You mind if I have another piece of cake?"

 **A Dimension Away, in a Plane of Existence out of Reach and in the Center of Time Itself**

His lightly colored, blue eyes gazed upward at the line of time machines that were stationed at the top of the small stairways...or at least, the single one that was left available. Though they served the same function as the one he had been using some time before these came to be, his handiwork and improvement on constructing such things had definitely shown, these models far sleeker and smooth in appearance, a white, capsule like body and a perfectly smooth, blue dome of transparent, yet durable material. It wasn't as if he was being haughty (or at least to the level his Saiyan father could get to), yet these devices (or at least the one remaining) were the main reason that he or anyone else for that matter could go and take care of any alterations or disturbances in the Time Stream. Of course, that was before the fiasco involving Majin Buu happened...and before the afro headed "champion" had used his image projected onto Earth's people to sway them to assisting in the creature's defeat. Though in a sense, it was more justified this time as he DID have something of a hand in his demise, yet was this large monstrosity really that necessary?! The guy didn't need a massive, golden statue dedicated to him right where the most useful resources were as well! Plus, the pose the idol was stuck in was even more ridiculous.

'I can't believe she even approved of it being put here too.' the young man thought. Though she wasn't malicious, he could've sworn that she sometimes loved intentionally tormenting him with her behavior.

At the very least, the temperature in this place was always at a comfortable level, something of which he would be in need of given his current attire. Though he had lost some of the pickiness for his clothing that he held in a younger age, his 'uniform' was somewhat outdated looking, he comparing it to some sort of garment that would be worn in a war long ago: a black trench coat with a olive green turtleneck underneath with matching colored pants, bandages of a lighter color were wrapped around his shins, the outfit finished with a pair of laced, brown boots. His new clothes, so to speak, or as she claimed, his uniform during his sentence here.

Of course, the reason that Trunks Briefs was here instead of where he was intending to go...well, frankly, he was grateful to her for that. It was unintentional of him; truly, it was; yet after learning what he potentially could've caused...the golden statue didn't seem so offensive anymore.

 **Sometime Ago…**

He checked the coordinates for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, yet there was no mistaking it, he entered them right. The same age, same day, same exact hour when he had last left. True, he knew that perhaps what he would be facing wouldn't exactly be what he remembered, yet Trunks was open and receptive to what would welcome him on his way back. However alien and different it would be, if his efforts had indeed been successful, then this world would be a better one, a safer one...one where when he did finally arrive, both mother AND father would be present at the door to greet him. At least he had hoped that would be the case, fanciful as that might've been given that his father's absence was something he had more than become accustomed to, yet still, it was a nice thought.

What truly was the first thing he had become aware of was that wherever the time machine had landed, it was in the middle of a deep crater, brown Earth being all that he could see at the moment from inside, mainly because the time machine had lost its balance and had tipped over, resulting in its awkward position. The dome opened up and allowed the youth to roll out, his indigo jacket becoming coated with dirt, yet once he managed to get himself somewhat on his feet, he propelled himself upward until he escaped, placing his body down on the fertile grass above. Blue eyes surveyed this strange location, and from the looks of it, there were several more craters akin to the one had just gotten out of. Questions as to what caused them, as well as to where this place was exactly forced his senses to be on the alert, his left arm clutching the hilt of his sword if it was to be needed sooner. Especially given that there were three signatures of Ki in the area, all of which were incredibly powerful.

Though of who those three were, he would soon becoming acquainted with two of them, the one party that had kept herself hidden in the shadows watched his approach towards the Time Vault. "There he is." the approaching young man momentarily slowed his pace, eyes gazing dead ahead and the grip on his blade not wavering for a second. Indeed, for what he had just done, he wasn't entirely a fool, for he seemed to be more than aware he was not alone. "Deal with him." the shadowed figure commanded another, she more than ready to go out and confront him, yet the far taller preferred to keep herself concealed. "Accordingly, for what he has caused to-"

"Yes, yes, I know!" the smaller being retorted. "I know! I'm just not going to go to extremes like you do!"

From the sound of it, the others present here were having a conversation of sorts, one of the participants, while still not completely discernible, Trunks could gain something of an idea of her appearance from her presence being closer to the doorway of the structure he was approaching. Though powerful, he couldn't detect anything evil from her. She was rather small as well, Krillin himself have a good few inches, maybe even feet on her height wise.

"You had better." the other figure told the smaller one. "Actions such as these, even if his intentions were good, such things always lead to the potential disasters."

"Oh great, he's coming!" the smaller complained, beginning to seemingly examine herself. "And I STILL look like a mess!"

"That's not my problem."

"...you're such a meanie sometimes."

Trunks has suspected that at least one of the two would be doing so eventually, yet a few yards before he could even get to the doorway of the building, the smaller of the two put one, pink skinned arm out at him, index finger pointing directly at him. "You!" she cried out, voice young and rather energetic despite the authority she was conveying. Despite what he had sensed from her earlier, Trunks obeyed, not wishing for any sort of trouble. "Don't move a muscle! Uh...at least until I get there!"

Trunks did so, the owner of the pink arm finally coming out, her garments certainly formal and otherworldly, yet caked in dirt and her appearance as a whole more than a little worse for wear, confirming his suspicions that something had indeed occurred here not too long prior to his arrival. She seemed to be surveying his appearance as well, she having to admit that he wasn't too shabby. Better than she did at that moment: slim (taller) figure with lightly colored, short, lavender hair that framed his face, two strands coming over his forehead and his lightly colored, blue eyes. The young man bore an indigo jacket with a peculiar logo on the right sleeve, a black tank top and grey cargo pants with orange boots. Yet what struck her as odd and somewhat puzzling was the sword that he carried in a red sheath that hung over his left shoulder by a blue strap. The Kai certainly wasn't one to dictate what he could or couldn't use as a weapon if he so chose, yet being what he was, he held more of an advantage than the others of Earth to perhaps not need such a thing.

Of course, if what she was planning would indeed be happening, then she would command that he keep that sword and use it well.

"Ahem!" the small, pink woman began, clearing her throat. So far, so good, she thought. She had his attention, and her 'friend' hadn't decided to come out and 'deal' with him herself. "You're more than a little confused right now, I bet." she waited for a moment. "Nod if you are." he seemed befuddled at her request, yet nevertheless, Trunks did so. "Yes, of course you are. Well, that is due to me-"

"KIII!" whatever else of her brilliant, well thought out speech that she had planned and went over in her head (conjured up in just five minutes) was swiftly interrupted as both she and Trunks were taken back by the sudden flash of snowy white feathers coming into view. More notably, coming in and landing atop of her head.

This was apparently the LAST thing she wanted, her young, pink face scrunching up in rage as she began to throw her fists up at the bird that had flown up before she had the chance to get a hold of him. "You insufferable ball of feathers!" the small Kai hollered in rage. "He's NEVER going to take me seriously now! You've gone and ruined everything!"

of course, even with the bird's interruption, intentional or not (though she swore that he had done so on purpose), she was only succeeding in making herself look like a fool. A fool, that the bird, the one she was to speak to, and probably most importantly, the one she was formerly conversing with, was watching. "Well..." she began again, silently cursing that damned owl. "As I was saying before being so RUDELY interrupted..." she directed her attention back to Trunks. "You're probably confused as to why you've ended up here instead of where you wanted to go initially."

Wanted to go? What was she...wait a moment. Did she know that he was-

"Or more appropriately, when." the small, pink woman continued. "Your most recent departure was from the twelfth of May, in Age seven-hundred-sixty-six, and your intended destination was where you had initially come from prior. A good decade or so from that point in time." true, he hadn't exactly known what to expect given the bizarre nature of where he was, let alone who he was speaking to, yet Trunks at this point was rendered completely speechless. How did she know all of this, better yet, whom was she to even obtain such information?! "Oh I know more than just that, Trunks Briefs." she told him, as if reading his mind.

"How...how did you-"

"Like I said, I know more than just that. I know that you used your mother's technological skills and resources to build that machine there." she then gestured towards the slumped over time machine in the crater, one of its legs sticking straight up. "I know that you wanted to use said machine to go back before the Androids had come and essentially destroyed what you held dear and close, and grant a cure for a certain heart virus for one of the planet's more notorious protectors before he would even be aware he held such a thing. Am I right?"

He wanted to speak, he wanted to question and demand that she tell him how she knew all of this, yet, regrettably, for the moment, the halfling could say nothing.

"Though given that said protector had recently passed away thanks to Cell, I suppose that your efforts couldn't change EVERYTHING. Rather surprising that he decided to not be resurrected..."

"Who...ARE you?"

Ah, yes! Here it was! Her crowning moment! "Glad you asked!" the small woman turned to look back for a moment, she not seeing her, yet she was more than aware that her 'friend' was still watching intently, giving a small 'thumbs up' to signify it was going just as she planned. "Now..." directing her attention back to Trunks, she flipped her hair and placed her hand on her chest, visually signifying her importance and position to the far taller, far more built young man. "I am one of the most ancient beings in this universe, known and spoken of in both sides of the Other World and beyond." truthfully, she didn't know about that, but she had a captive audience here. Not to mention, her 'friend' over there didn't come from here, so the 'beyond' bit technically counted. "I am the one that is in charge of and documents all things that happen in the universe! Minutes, hours, days, years, all of this comes to me to observe and record, placing it in the Stream of Time and cementing the past so that future can be written! I, my fellow traveler through time, am..." it was then that the small woman spun around on one of her heeled boots, her garments fanning and spinning out behind her, yet after two or three spins, she stopped and held her hands up in a position that Trunks could only assume was her attempting to look as if she were striking some sort of pose. "The Supreme, Gloriously Beautiful, Properly Sized and Reasonably Developed Kai of Time!"

If she had been given the time for it, Trunks would've sworn that she would've probably brought out a few sparklers to hold in each hand for added effect, yet that in itself would've probably made it even stranger for him. Here this person was telling him that she was a divine being, something that while he could fathom (he himself having died not too long prior), and that she had brought him to this seemingly small place in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention, that she wasn't just any Kai or divine creature, she was a Supreme Kai, The Supreme Kai of all Time itself...and here she was, doing this pose if she were putting on some sort of show.

A few moments of silence went by, neither one of them saying a thing until the Kai found she couldn't keep herself in the pose any longer, going back to standing normally. "What? Nothing?"

"Well, consider yourself lucky I'm being so accommodating, mister!" she suddenly hollered, pointing one finger in his direction. "Because with what you've done, I have every right to put you in a private little hole in the Time Stream and throw away the key!"

 **Present Time**

It took her a bit to actually get to the point, she throwing accusation and accusation on him about his carelessness and how much of a disaster he could've caused. Whilst befuddled at first as to why she was so adamant about his 'crime' and its potential consequences, when she had finally made clear as to what exactly could've happened, then Trunks understood.

"Using a Time Machine is a mortal sin against the cosmic balance!" he reminisced, her voice stern and full of authority, and while he wasn't (nor did he even have the opportunity to) going to interrupt, he felt that most of the image she was putting on for him wasn't entirely for him to 'get the point', she seeming to look back in her pauses to the large structure that he now knew as the Time Vault, as if someone was watching her every move. Though given that he remembered distinctly hearing two voices instead of one, that was probably the case, yet the identity of this he did still not know other. Also, given from the small Kai's reaction to him inquiring about such a thing, it was unlikely she would be revealing it either. "And abusing the natural flow of time," as she continued, "could hold serious repercussions for the fabric of reality itself!" He didn't understand then, and even now, he didn't exactly understand entirely, yet what she had told him next...it cemented that here was the only place he technically COULD end up. All thanks to his actions.

"The catastrophe with the androids has been averted! Everyone will be okay when I go back, so-"

"You can't." the Supreme Kai, her demeanor changed completely then, Trunks saw the immediate shift in her eyes. What was once frustration and anger (albeit, he still believed that some of it was an act) had devolved into what he could only register as sympathy...perhaps maybe empathy even, as if there was some relation to the heartbreak she was about to reveal. "What you've done...you've undone what was already recorded. You've created a paradox. Yes, there will be a future for those that you met and helped, yet despite your good intentions...that future has been cut off to you."

That was why he had ended up here instead of where he initially set out to go. That future, in a sense, was not a part of history anymore. The line he traveled on to get into an earlier age had been splintered, a diverting path had been created...and whilst she didn't destroy it, even he, in his inferior power compared to the divine being, wouldn't allow her to do such a thing, he couldn't go back there. Go back to where he wanted...what he had been so elated and happy to return to, falsely believing that it would be a bright, wonderful scene waiting for him. In a way, Trunks was foolish to not think such a thing wouldn't potentially happen, that something wouldn't happen due to his meddling. Yet for this...for him to be directed her because he rendered the future he was trying to save a mere diverging path...even now, after all this time, he still couldn't entirely grasp it.

"Such a thing could've brought an end to the universe as we know it. Since it's clear you wish to atone for such a thing, you have an option. You can work for me."

It wasn't at once, such a thing as well as the information he had been told needing more than a good few moments to absorb. A couple of days worth, or at least it would've been in 'normal Earth time' according to the Kai, yet ultimately, he had ultimately agreed to. Of course, then came her inquiring and urging him to relay as to HOW exactly he had constructed his time machine, which of course lead to him showing some of Capsule Corp. namesake capsules...something of which he began to slightly regret considering all that came next. For then came the Supreme Kai asking him to show her more, and more, and more, and more, until it had gotten to where the very city he was currently standing in came to be.

Actually he was just here in the Time Machine Station, one of three main areas where the seemingly floating, expansive metropolis mainly composed of white, domed buildings and, dare he say, futuristic technology resided, no expense spared and all under the sponsorship of Capsule Corp. At least technically, as he had yet to see even one hundred yen for any of his work done.

The floating city in the sky, named after the owl Trunks had learned was the very reason this place was built, Toki Toki city, was indeed, like some ancient city that at the moment escaped his mind, was not built in a single day. Or at least a 'day' in this particular pocket of time and space, given that the concept of time itself was fluid and in essence, did not flow here. The large buildings and hub areas that stood all over, domed and coated in a sleek, white color, Capsule Corp.'s trademark style were far from the only things of note in this space. The area Trunks currently stood in, the Time Machine Station, held just as its title stated, time machines. Most of which had been checked out by others than himself. In fact, there were not many left here, nor had many returned from where they were initially sent to, something that had indeed puzzled him at first, yet now, he found himself growing concerned.

"Trunks?"

The lilac haired halfling registered that someone was speaking to him, turning around to come across a muscled youth he had suspected to be at least not a good few years younger or older than he (he couldn't exactly tell), the furry appendage wrapped around his midsection more than an indication of what he was. His hair, contrary for most of his species, was actually rather tame in comparison to someone like Goku or his father, even a halfling like himself, Gohan, his attire was almost a perfect mimic of Goku's attire though, the color palette notwithstanding. Instead of a bright orange gi with a navy undershirt, this particular Saiyan donned a dark grey, possibly even completely black gi and pants with a red undershirt that came up to his neck and ended in shortened sleeves, the ensemble completed with a pair of dark brown boots.

"Pima." Trunks greeted, the full-blooded Saiyan in turn rubbing the back of his head, as if he were contemplating what he was to say next. Perhaps it was him simply looking too deeply into it, yet the halfling always felt that Pima was almost always anxious whenever he had to interact with him, as if he was somehow 'unworthy' to.

"The boss." Pima simply began, sighing, as his statement obviously didn't come out like he wanted. "She wants a word with you."

 **Time Nest**

Additionally, with the advancement and general existence of Toki Toki City, where he had initially ended up, had undergone some changes of its own. Most specifically, the actual location of the Time Nest in of itself. What once encompassed the realm in being the only thing present, now Trunks had to travel through what was designated as the Plaza of Time to get there. This area, compared to the Time Machine Station and the Industrial Sector was far more 'traditional' so to speak. Whilst the evidence of Capsule Corp. and its technological input (a la HIS input) shown in brief instances, for the most part, the place was set up akin to an oriental garden that perhaps he would've seen even somewhere on Earth, given if someone held the resources and money to do it. A couple of bridges painted red leading to another section in the area that was separated by a stream of clear, running water where a handful of Namekian frogs had nestled there (the reason that the Supreme Kai thought they even needed to be there still escaped him), yet as well, the two main attractions of sorts that, whilst one could technically be built given money and resources, the other most likely could not.

Atop of the other section cut off by the stream rested an alter of sorts, a structure of gold fashioned to resemble a long, scaled dragon put atop of and made to look as if it was reclining on it standing above the altar, as if peering down upon it. Quite appropriate design as well, given that the altar held seven equally shaped, rounded holes in it for the placement of seven particular spheres that related to one such dragon. Behind that, in the very center and heart of Toki Toki City was indeed, perhaps the very literal heart of the place, as well as the gathering and flow of time itself. As ancient a tool as it might have been, it still stood in its place, a behemoth hourglass seemingly allowing endless amounts of sand or whatever material it was to flow downward, yet Trunks couldn't exactly say whether or not he's seen it have to be flipped over yet. Revolving around said hourglass as if it held its own gravitational pull were large, spinning gears, one revolving around the lower and upper halves whilst one sat in the center. There were others stationed at the very top and bottom, alternating between gold and silver, yet compared to the three in the middle, they didn't hold as much motion.

He doubted that anyone on Earth, let alone much else anywhere else in the universe could exactly replicate that. Yet as impressive as a sight as it was (he too having a hand in designing it), where he was going was somewhere that was completely, for the most part, untouched by him or his mother's teachings since a time far before he even came into being, let alone most others. On the right of the plaza, the entrance of sorts decorated with the same, blue, ornate structures akin to that of the Time Vault itself, a tall doorway stood that seemed to lead to nowhere. Stepping up on the raised platform and moving forward though, the empty space began to steadily become enveloped in a light blue, transparent energy of sorts, the image of a grassy plain and a large structure able to be seen when the coat wearing demi-saiyan drew closer, signifying that he was going to where he was wishing to go. Stepping through, his vision was soon completely encompassed by the light blue hue, nothing else present for what appeared to be miles, yet just as quickly as the barren yet calm landscape began, it ended, his destination reached.

It was not much, especially considering where he had just come from not even being there a good while back, yet the Time Nest in itself had gone through some particular changes as well since he had first arrived. Indeed, while the sight of many planets of varying sizes were still visible surrounding the patch of land, the area in itself seemed to be completely closed off, large bars enclosing it from the outside in both senses, as if the entire perimeter was simply a massive cage. More appropriately, given one of the residents here, a birdcage. The Time Vault had been where it had always been, at least Trunks assumed, as its position certainly hadn't changed since he arrived, the same large tree protruding from the roof bearing the same fruit it always had. Not to mention, the Supreme Kai's home stood where it had always been, though around the corner in the back rested the remains of what was once the very machine he had used to traverse the ages and what he had arrived here in. Once the subject of fascination of the owner of this realm, now taken apart for spare parts and used as a template for more updated, slicker models.

"Kiii! Kii!" from above, stationed on a perch on the side of the small, domed house, composed of a simple tree branch and three, golden rings, one on the right with the other two standing atop of each other, was the very one that the city outside was named after and whom this realm was essentially made for. Tokitoki looked down from above at the lilac haired, coat wearing half-breed, giving another 'caw' or two in greeting in case the youth thought he was going to get away without noticing him.

"Yeah, I see you." Trunks responded, the owl puffing out his chest all important-like. "I take it she's been waiting?" the bird turned his head, as if to say 'what do you think?'

"About time!" a female voice shouted from afar, Trunks' suspicions confirmed. "I sent Pima to go get you ages ago!"

'If by ages, you mean two minutes, then I guess you're right.' the Kai's first and oldest 'employee' thought, yet didn't allow the words to emit from his lips, even after all this time, not forgetting who was in charge around here. Yet his thoughts were cut off by his senses detecting something odd from inside the Time Vault itself, the Ki and energy from the recorded events feeling as if they were fleeting in some way. Yet how could that have been?

"You feel it too." the small, pink woman observed. "At the very least, you're someone that gets things fast. Come." she ordered. "There's something I have to show you."

Both of them promptly made their way down the trail to the large building containing the source of the anomalies that they were both sensing. Chronoa (even if she had made it clear to Trunks he was to address her as 'Supreme Kai') lead the taller young man into the Vault, taking one of the scrolls that she was viewing when she began to notice these strange happenings even beginning.

"What's going on?" Trunks questioned, gazing at the scroll the ornately dressed woman, the rolled up parchment emitting a strange, violet energy. "What's wrong with it?"

"Indeed, that's what I'd like to know." Chronoa answered back, rolling out the scroll and setting it down on a flattened surface to allow him to examine it along with her. "See, look at this." Trunks gazed down at the scroll's contents, the events playing out before them, these events in particular being probably the most recent of recordings that had been in here. Majin Buu's struggle to hold back the collective Spirit Bomb played out, yet just as he was about to be obliterated...it stopped. As if a roll of film was being halted and the material being burnt away, leaving nothing but a blank screen, Chronoa closed the scroll up. "It ends like that every time. Almost all of these are showing something similar." she gestured towards several other scrolls stationed in the room, all emitting an eerily similar, strange energy of violet, some that weren't even doing so before beginning to follow suit.

"What's causing this?" Trunks began to inquire. "Is something being erased? Because it doesn't look like there were any alterations in events."

"No, it doesn't." Chronoa agreed. "Yet...something is happening. Not in the sense that history itself is being changed, but..." she paused for a moment, contemplating on what sort of descriptions she could even use to describe what both of them had just witnessed. "...something's been 'interrupted', so to speak. As if something, an event was supposed to take place, yet never did. Thus, the record of it becomes corrupted and unreadable near the end." though it wasn't an indication of any changing of events, at least not ones that they could detect, yet even still, that far from meant that it was of no concern. Especially given that the demi-saiyan beside her had been informed all about the potential dangers that came with altering events already recorded in history.

"It must be those two again." Trunks suddenly stated, gloved fist clenching.

"Mira and Towa?" Chronoa questioned, her eyes narrowing as she pondered the possibility.

Those two, of which had been with there as long as Trunks had been, oddly enough, appearing and making their move not long after he had been sworn into her service, were potential candidates for sure. Indeed, it appeared the Trunk's assumptions would be correct, and yet...she doubted. Not in that those two were somehow responsible for these, such things had their marks all over it, yet this usually wasn't their style, so to speak. Usually it was enhancing the strength of the enemies that the defenders were battling against, not just simply erasing a particular element, if that was what was actually occurring. Even then...no. No, impossible. They couldn't have managed to do so. They couldn't have...could they?

"Supreme Kai?" the pink woman was brought back to the present by her assistant's questioning, she clearing her throat and then turning to him.

"I don't suppose there are still some Time Machines left?" the Supreme Kai asked.

"Last time I checked." Trunks answered. "Unless someone's taken it in the time it took to get here."

"And from that, I take it that none of the others that I've sent before have come back either." she mumbled. What she saw on the scroll depicting Buu's destruction was not something she was only acting on now, a team immediately dispatched and sent to investigate. Yet after that, more scrolls began displaying the same oddities, resulting in more people being sent out, yet from the sound of it, none of them had yet returned.

Trunks waited for a moment, pondering if she was actually wishing for him to do such a thing at first, yet even then, by this time, he perhaps should've known better. After all, strange anomalies in time...whom else would she consider sending out then someone who knew all about that subject matter first hand? "I'll go see what I can find-"

"Great!" Chronoa then proclaimed. "At least I can always count on you to not need much explanation." with that request, or rather, disguised command, Trunks began to make his exit, ironically enough, going back to the very place he had just arrived from, wondering if it was going to turn out like this, why couldn't SHE have just come to him there? Yet again, this was HER he was talking about, more importantly, a Kai. Divine being or not, forethought sometimes was choosy in their thought process. "Oh, wait!" he heard her calling out, turning around just as he was about to make his exit out of the Vault. "Pima came to get you, right?"

"Yeah. I just assumed you sent him because he's one of the few still here."

"Well...sort of. Plus, Pima's usually willing to do whatever I say." she told him, as if she were proud of that fact. "But I sent him initially because Taino's group is still here and seeing is that she's been wanting to have a mission for awhile..." he didn't exactly like where this was going. Was she really? "...and given that you're still around and already on your way..." she was. He should've known. He also should've known that she wouldn't even allow him to begin to protest either. "Thanks!" she proclaimed, intentionally doing so the moment she saw his lips part. "You're a real help! Did I ever tell you that you're my FAVORITE little assistant ever? Course; don't tell any of the other guys here that. Especially Harry."

'Oh, of course. You wouldn't want ANYTHING to spoil the relationship between you and arguably the best mechanic here.' Trunks mentally growled. Yet still, he began to make his way down the stone pathway back to the entrance into this separate space from Toki Toki City. Which also reminded him of how Harry had only been hired AFTER he had essentially completed near everything when it came to laying the groundwork out.

Sighing, Chronoa slumped her shoulders, a long sigh exited from her throat. Even if a place such as this didn't exactly have 'days' per say, she was willing to admit that today had been a rather hectic one.

"Kiii?" a familiar caw met her pointed ears, the 'bearded' owl from outside flying into the building and sitting himself atop of the middle platform, careful not to topple over or send any scrolls to the floor. As much as he liked to use the woman's head as a perch, sending one of his own pieces of collaborations with her would just be bad form. "Kii, kii." Tokitoki cooed, Chronoa raising a brow.

"What do you mean by that?" she questioned, placing her hands on her hips. "Everything's fine. We're going to get whatever this is sorted out."

"Kii, kii, kii." the owl disagreed, though the Kai was the only one to understand his form of communication.

"No, it's not too much for me to handle." she retorted. "You just don't have any faith in me, that's all."

"Kiii..." the owl remarked, the coo drawn out as if he was saying 'noooo, you know that's not true.'

"Well then, what would you call it?" Chronoa huffed. "And before you ask, no. I am NOT going to call her." The owl was taken aback slightly, she having intercepted what he was going to say before he even could. "And also, before you add anything, yes. I KNOW what happened last time. But...but that was then and this is now! The city outside of here didn't even exist then! I didn't have all of these people here then! People here to help protect you!" oddly enough, the bird had nothing to say, only looking at her with narrowed eyes. "Don't look at me like that. It's all under control. These things, whether their alterations or paradoxes or whatever, our two 'most wanted' troublemakers are probably the ones causing it and it's been in nearly every age we've stopped them dead in their tracks! It's fine!" honestly, she didn't know why she was going through the effort in explaining all of this to the ball of feathers. It wasn't as if he was unaware of any of it, yet...she sighed. Perhaps she shouldn't have looked at that particular scroll earlier displaying the events that even lead to the formation of Toki Toki City at all. "I'm better than that now." Chronoa affirmed. "I'm better. He..." she paused, realizing that today had been the first time she had even openly mentioned 'him' in such a long span of time. "He has nothing to hold over me now."

Why was she even allowing that red haired bastard to enter her thoughts at all? Maybe it was just due to the timing when she noticed the first scroll acting up, yet he held no coloration with it! He was still locked up in the Crack of Time! Better yet, the more secure and protected Crack of Time. Nope, Demigra wasn't getting out of there for a LONG time. Yet with that, another possibility entered Chronoa's mind. It was a baseless assumption, yes, yet still, given with what she had to deal with already regarding the two and their abilities, it was still a possibility. Could they have maybe...no. No, impossible, she told herself. Absolutely not. Besides, even if they did (which she didn't believe in the slightest), it wouldn't be like they could do anything. The seals set around him were near impossible to be broken, she and Pluto made sure of that! If they did, then they would need a lot more than just some altering of events to do that! Full blown paradoxes and lapses in time would be needed for something like that, and no matter what that blue skinned, arrogant, tall, busty demon woman said, neither she or her 'darling' were THAT powerful!

Of course...there was also when Trunks arrived to the future that never was, being redirected to here. Yet...surely they wouldn't find that particular section either! She had sealed it off from the Rest of the Time Stream when the alteration was made! It was cut off from the rest of history as a whole! So that the paradox that Trunks created wouldn't affect the rest of it, so that it wouldn't spring forth and give birth to...

"But...if they can travel through time with ease...then...maybe they would be able to find it. Find what was birthed from that paradox. Those 'things'."

"Kii?" Chronoa turned her gazed to Tokitoki, tilting his head in curiosity at what she was pondering.

Maybe he did have a point. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep her old contact in mind, though just in case. Something of which she didn't think would happen. At least, she hopped that it wouldn't happen.

 **Juban Tokyo**

 **5:30 PM/17:30 hours**

The walk from the shrine to her home was never one she considered as horribly long, no more than a few minutes and if she timed herself right, Usagi would be able to get there just as her mother was beginning to prepare dinner. Yet still, as uncomfortable as the conversation detailing the potential futures of herself and her friends had been, she found herself more than willing to take her chances with that then simply having to walk home alone. It wasn't that none of them were willing to walk with her, yet all of them had their own homes to go to as well as their own families (excluding Makoto, a thought that, while true, disgusted Usagi for even thinking about it). It wasn't as if they had even left her completely alone either, the ebony furred feline walking beside her as they both journeyed to their home, yet compared to the four, Luna wasn't exactly the type where she could hold a conversation about something she deemed of interest. If they were here, at least she could use them as a better source of distraction, for when it was just her, Usagi found her thoughts beginning to invade and overcome everything else, something of which had only happened on occasion, yet in more recent years, she noticed that they had been getting worse. Whether due to her increasing age and, in Rei's terms, 'mildly and slowing developing' maturity, or some other factor, the bun-head found herself dwelling and sitting with a good number of concerns she hadn't before. Even if she still tried not to, to keep that same easy-going nature she had held before, it was now beginning to grow difficult.

Something that her black, feline companion had also began to notice, and to her dismay, "Usagi?" it would be brought up.

"Yeah? What?"

"I don't mean to pry..." if she weren't trying to convey concern, she would've chuckled at herself for that. Her very duty included prying into the bun-head's business. Yet in this case, it was of a good degree of importance. "Yet since we left the shrine, you've been rather quiet. Is something particular on your mind?"

The reaction was immediate. "Wh-What?! No way!" Usagi retorted, as if she were ready to spout it the second the cat had brought it up. As if she were 'waiting' for her to inquire her of this. Though, unluckily for her, Usagi was never that good of a liar. "I'm serious, it's nothing! Nothing at all! And here I thought that you'd actually LIKE that this trip's been mostly uneventful."

"I never said that I didn't, did I?" Luna corrected. Her charge was trying to divert her from going further, she knew it. Yet why? Given that the two were so near Usagi's abode and the sidewalk far from offered any potential danger, such as having to avoid traffic, it only made her more determined to get whatever she was hiding or not wanting to reveal out of her. "If anything, if it's because you're contemplating on your performance on the Calculus test coming up shortly or even putting in some extra time to study, then by all means, quiet is good." though neither of them exactly suspected such a thing, this, ironically enough, talk of the unusual nature of Usagi's absolute silence drew their collective attention from another that had they not been so distracted, they would've noticed sooner. "Yet if it's anything that's troubling you, it's-ah! Watch where you're going!"

She couldn't have hoped to turn fast enough to notice the oncoming hazard her feline guardian had intercepted, Usagi's body instantly coming into contact with something, or more appropriately, someone. Someone that felt as if their body was the equivalent to making contact with a brick wall, even if her eyes told her that the individual was no more or less built than she was. In fact, for reasons she herself didn't understand, the legs appeared almost eerily familiar.

"Ow!" she cried out, rubbing her now sore posterior. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…." she continued, while she was still in pain, it had begun to dull down and lessen the more she continued to massage the area that was hit. Yet for all the signs she was giving and indications for the one standing above her to realize, not a word came. "Hey," Usagi had enough. "What's your problem?! Aren't you even going to say anything for bumping into-" she had it all planned out too: while the pain was still somewhat there, she was going to make some 'slight exaggerations' and hopefully tug at the culprit's heartstrings to get them to apologize, yet the moment she came face to face with said culprit, any words she had died in her throat.

The culprit in question wasn't some large, hulking figure that warranted her practically bouncing off of the individual's body, yet what both Usagi and Luna were staring at was little more than a young woman garbed in a sailor fuku identical to the bun-headed girl's own. There was no mistaking it: same white blouse with the exact same navy color and cuffs, even the bow tied underneath said collar was the exact same color! She wore black, Mary Jane shoes with crossover straps with short, white socks, and whilst her body type was certainly indicative to someone near or even her age, Usagi found herself skeptical about what she was even seeing. Usagi, for the most part, had it not been for how she encountered this particular individual would've been solely at face value, Luna far more fitting and acting out the questioning, suspicious type, yet the young woman's girth and size...frankly, it didn't fit at all to what she had felt when colliding with her. The best she could compare it to was slamming into a brick wall, she being sent to the ground while the one she had collided with still stood upright and tall, almost as if she had done little to no damage to her at all. It also just occurred to her that she had not once seen this girl wandering the halls of the high school.

"Sorry." the young woman had spoke, though her voice was far from what Usagi had thought, let alone hoped, she would here. Young and indicating of her age not being too far from her own, yet aside from Rei or even Makoto at their most extreme (mostly Rei due to the former's history in lecturing the blonde), she didn't think she had heard such a tone before. The young woman sounded so firm and certain, yet underneath the apology, there was an indication that there were secondary emotions being suppressed from echoing in her speech. Hostility...envy even? "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." as she continued to speak, Usagi found her voice, body language, and overall demeanor far from fitting that of someone bearing the title of an ordinary high schooler in their last year. "But from the looks of it, you weren't either." In fact, while it was one of the first things she had noticed, it was now more than ever that she realized how unfitting her hairstyle had been in comparison to her detached coldness. Long, golden hair was tied up in almost childish looking pigtails that extended down to below her knees, the ends of said tails beginning to curl and turn, resembling corkscrews. The main highlight of this, aside from the tails, were that they were adorned with large, ruby red ribbons, tied up in bows, though the hairstyle in itself seemed to only serve as greater contrast to the rest of her, especially her piercing, indigo (maybe even violet, Usagi wasn't certain) eyes.

Of course, after this visual analysis, Usagi had become aware that this individual had actually insinuated that her bumping into her was partially her fault. "H-Hey!" she began to protest. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

The pig-tailed young woman didn't budge and inch, still staring the bun-headed blonde down. "Well, were you?"

"Uh..." any and all sense of bravado had been vanquished, Usagi immediately searching for something, ANYTHING that she could use to change the subject. Her house was just a bit more away; surely she could avoid this last minute confrontation because frankly, this girl appeared to be nothing short of willing to take her down. Then again, what was she worried about, she thought as her hand clutched onto her golden broach, she was the Guardian of Love and Justice! In fact, did this delinquent even know who she was?! Not that she'd up and use it on a jerk like this person, yet still...she could give a warning! Yet the moment she made the motion, the other woman's eyes widened, her eyes focusing directly on her hand, or better yet, the object that lay underneath it. "Um...you're...curious about my broach?"

"Not necessarily." she responded. "But why do you wear such a thing? Is it part of your uniform?"

"...no. But...I...I just like it. It's...it's special." she was getting uncomfortably close. "Say, uh, are you new to Municipal High School? Because I don't think I-"

"Yes." the pig-tailed girl answered, as if she were waiting for such a question. "I'm a new transfer student."

Though the conversation had turned from a potential confrontation, it still didn't make it any less uncomfortable, Luna having been resigned to a neutral observer, yet her arched back made clear she was ready to pounce if need be. "Oh really? From where?" Usagi inquired, yet this seemed to be something that the young woman wasn't able to answer, or rather, wasn't willing to. She, as if on a dime, began walking past the other blonde, eyes facing forward and not even acknowledging either her former company or her black feline. "I can't stay." she simply said, excusing herself. "I have people waiting for me."

"Oh. Uh...yeah. Sure." it was strange, no, downright unnerving and bizarre, but whatever. If it allowed Usagi to get out of this situation and away from this weird stranger, the better. "Guess...I'll be seeing you in class then. Bye!" she hoped not. She prayed and pleaded to the heavens she would not, she wasting no time in scooping up a more than tense Luna and dashing in the direction their home could be found in.

Yet whilst one of them was sprinting for her life, the one she had collided with came to a halt, looking back at the young woman as those blonde tails of her flew out behind her. It was also only then that the young woman allowed a small, devious smile to curl onto her lips. "It won't be in the school." she muttered under her breath. "Yet you're right in that you and I WILL more likely than not will be seeing each other in the future." and if everything would be going according to what her precious Shaman had detailed, the near future.

 **Outside Juban**

It was that very moment that Michiru Kaioh realized that if she had simply wished to know who the so called 'wealthy patron' her oh-so-dear Haruka Tenoh had referred to in their apartment dwelling days, the very object in her hand would've probably alerted her to that very thing in a heartbeat. The teal haired violinist along with the dusty blonde speed enthusiast had left those days long behind, now the two, along with the very Guardian of Space and Time living together in a expansive abode stationed outside of the city, with a little young lady that they had all, quite literally so, raised since birth. For the second time.

'At least for her, it's her second time.' indeed, for the younger girl that the three women all cared for, despite the unusually rapid age growth and development, and the circumstances that lead to the four being where they were now, it truly was a second life for her. Something of which that Michiru, Haruka, and Setsuna vowed to try to the best of their ability to make an improved one compared to Hotaru Tomoe's origins. In fact, it was due to the current behavior of the younger child that the Guardian of Neptune was gazing intently into her reflective talisman at that very moment. 'Oh God, Haruka's right. I AM fitting the mommy role.' she reflected on a comment made by the dusty blonde not too long ago, not that she took any offense, yet it was clear that the wavy-haired beauty had more than a few worries plaguing her recently, all of which centered on their, HER Hotaru.

It wasn't as if she had been acting out, heavens no. Their, HER little firefly would NEVER, yet nevertheless, she had been making not only her, but also the other two caretakers in the large household more than a little puzzled and not to mention, suspicious. They all even remembered when the odd, distant behavior began as well, a month or so ago. The noises were small at first, yet they soon evolved into moans and small cries, then into screams. All three went to the young girl's aid, yet even with the insistence she was fine and that there was no need for concern...since then, their Hotaru had not exactly been the same. Her eating grew less and less, and more noticeable, she wasn't getting as many hours of sleep, Michiru herself wondering if she slept at all unless the exhaustion became too much for her.

Oh, she had tried to loosen her tongue, they all did. Though not as approachable with those outside, in their circle, Haruka made clear that she was free to talk to if the young girl needed, Setsuna taking this vow as well, though the former seemed to be more able to deliver on the task when that time came, for while it wasn't as evident, the tan skinned woman seemed to be growing rather quiet and distant as well. Far more so than usual. Michiru, while she didn't think that Haruka or Setsuna's approach was a bad one, she had gone a more direct approach, albeit as Setsuna had once said, a more immature one. She essentially had taken Hotaru on a shopping spree, and when that didn't work, she had settled with getting her small little gifts every time she was out. Yet even still, and after all that money spent, still, she said nothing. It was somewhat irritating, yes, yet the majority of that came from the fact that Hotaru still kept herself from saying anything, the reasons as to why stumping all of them. Even more upsetting, though perhaps she was simply over thinking it, Michiru began to ponder if perhaps this was due to Hotaru feeling as if she COULDN'T speak to them. She didn't simply choose to go on like this, yet she resigned herself to the fact that there was no other way...yet why?

'If I knew that, I wouldn't be here.' and thus, here she was, on the large, white bed, staring into her respective talisman, hoping that perhaps the mirror's respective powers would grant her at the very least, a glance into why the young girl was being so distant. Not to mention, on a side note, that in doing so, she might also be able to delve into her other housemate's curious behavior as well.

Focusing her deep, blue eyes on the reflective surface of the handheld ornament, searching, scouring for anything that the talisman would hopefully see fit to present her. Of course, it was due to this intense focus that she was somewhat startled by the pair of arms that wrapped around her, yet her fear died down when she recognized the familiar color of short, chopped hair and her distinctive scent. "Hello to you too." she greeted her Haruka. Though she wasn't expecting it to be so soon, the teal haired woman suspected that the other woman would be curious as to what her lover was doing. By God, she didn't want yet ANOTHER mimicking the young girl's demeanor as of late.

"It take that you haven't found anything of note?" the other woman questioned, she too now gazing into the mirror's surface.

"No, not yet." Michiru confessed, running her long nailed fingers along the golden lining. "Of course, I'm sure you've noticed too, right."

Haruka nodded. "She's getting worse, yeah. Though, if I have to be honest-"

"And little's stopped you before."

Hm, that was true. Not that that was one to change that particular trait. Nevertheless, her point was still made. "She's not the only one."

"Only one what?" both of them were alerted that there was yet another intruder in the room, Setsuna standing in the doorway and eyeing the both of them. Though she didn't say such, she suspected well that they were speaking of her.

"Could you at least knock?" Haruka responded, Setsuna narrowing her mahogany eyes.

"You certainly didn't."

"Please, let's not do this." Michiru cut in, putting a stop to something breaking out before it even started. "We're all concerned about Hotaru as of late, so how about we put that to use?" she suggested, raising the Deep Aqua Mirror up for the other woman to see. Whilst she was still somewhat miffed by Haruka's comment, ultimately, Setsuna agreed, joining the two in gazing into the talisman's surface.

Yet Haruka wasn't yet done. "Really though," she began, Michiru giving her a look, yet she assured her that she wasn't going to pick any fights. "What's up with you?"

"Up with me?" Setsuna questioned.

"Yes, you. One minute, you're here and the next, you've just up and left."

It was something that was coming, she knew. Someone around here would eventually question as to why she had been so absent as of late, yet still, she affirmed that such absence held a significant importance to it. "I've been attending to important matters."

"What kind of important matters?"

Though Haruka wouldn't stop until she obtained what she wanted, and though she knew she was going to have to deliver this news to her fellow Outer Scouts eventually, the act of doing so was not a task she was wishing to do. "They are matters that may perhaps signal that the years of peace we've had are soon coming to an end."

"Both of you please!" Michiru hushed them, gesturing towards the once, clear, silvery surface of the talisman steadily, yet slowly being overtaken with a pure, obsidian black, coming in and overtaking the surface akin to shrouding mist. "Something's coming..."

The Deep Aqua Mirror began to form an image, ever so slowly, yet surely, for its three observers, each of them befuddled as to what exactly it was they were seeing, yet as it went along, there were suspicions and possibilities being developed amongst themselves. Five it was, five figures standing amidst a sea of nothing, bearing little to no form that, while bipedal, were certainly not human. Frankly, from the encounters the three had in dealing with the Death Busters and their vast array of horrid Daimons, at the very least, they seemed 'stable' in a sense. These five things...they appeared to be made out of pure, uncontrolled energy, their bodies twisting and turning in unnatural, surely painful ways until after more sickening positions that nobody could contort themselves into...they began to change. The twists and turns steadied to spastic, but far less painful shakes, limbs shrinking and becoming more and more solid, this process going on and on until the five figures standing amongst the black resembled that of young women. No hair, or any distinguishing features, yet the shapes were definitely feminine, or at least, there were no features at first. Though the figures could be seen, the place, or abyss, wherever they were bore extremely poor lighting, so not much could be seen, yet overtime, hair could be seen growing from their scalps, forming into styles and cuts that, while different, the three Outers definitely felt a sense of familiarity in looking at each of them.

Especially one that seemed to bear large pigtails. It wasn't her, so she knew not why the thought even crossed her mind, yet Haruka couldn't help in thinking upon seeing that particular one, 'That one reminds me of Usagi.'

Then just as what appeared to be clothing of some kind formed onto the figures, they vanished from the mirror's surface. The blackness remained, yet the five had faded out of sight, though it wasn't left empty for long, as then, instead of five, two figures came to be seen, once again, not well seen or detailed except for the barest of details. One was a woman for sure, one side of her head holding a longer section of hair over her shoulder and bearing a long staff of sorts. The other was definitely male, and a large one at that. Unlike the woman, he seemed to be bearing some sort of armor and perhaps wasn't entirely organic, a cord or cable of some sort hanging over the back of his neck. Like the five before, none of the three held any idea who or what they were; yet unlike Haruka and Michiru, Setsuna began to find potential suspicions developing in her head. Yet...yet that was impossible. Even with the strange energy she had been feeling throughout the isolated chamber of the Space Time Door, the sensation even more prominent past the door itself, yet...yet surely such a thing couldn't be happening. Yes, Chronoa had detailed to her of these two individuals that had been giving her trouble, yet she had assured she was keeping them at bay!

As much as she wished to believe that, hoped and prayed that her affirmation was good and true, when the two faded from view, the single figure that displayed itself to the three women almost forced the gasp developing in Setsuna's throat to expel in front of them. Hair fanned out to the back, resembling a flame, the outline of a particular set of familiar clothing...a staff seemingly constructed of bone with a single orb stationed at the top...Setsuna stood up from her kneeling position at the foot of the large bed, just as the mirror swiftly went back to its silvery, reflective surface. "Setsuna?" Michiru asked, both she and Haruka directing their attention to the other woman. "Setsuna, what is it? What's wrong?"

At first, the tan woman didn't answer, both of them swearing that they could see her, Setsuna Meioh, visibly shaken. "I have to go. Tell Hotaru I may be a bit late tonight."

"Go? Go where?" Haruka wasted no time in asking questions. If she simply believed she would be walking out of here without answering any- "Hey! Where are you going?!" Michiru abandoned her place on the bed, forgetting to set her mirror down as she followed the two women out of the room, her partner chasing out her dear friend, all the while demanding that she tell them what was going on and why she had reacted in such a way to what they had all seen.

If she had looked around the corner, she would've seen that while she hadn't seen what had taken place, a pair of ears was intently listening in on their conversation that was taking place in the bedroom. Hotaru Tomoe slinked back when her Aunt Setsuna and Papa Haruka passed, thankful that at least they didn't notice, yet when she noticed Mama Michiru following suit behind them, as silently as she could, she crept her way back to her room. She didn't know what exactly had happened in there, in their room, yet she knew well why, in those brief glances of peering in she took, why her Mama was peeking into her mirror, that mirror.

It wracked her insides with loathing and guilt. She was causing her to worry, all of them to worry, yet...yet she couldn't say it. Ever since that night, that terrible night, the night she had seen that thing again, seen 'her' again. Yet...yet she couldn't be here! The gateway to where she and her 'Master' came from was dead! She was out of her body, and Aunt Setsuna herself told her numerous times neither she or the monster she tried to bring in this world would be returning. Not through her, not through any means! Yet...that wasn't all that there was, for Hotaru knew that what she had seen in her dreams that night, it would've continued if she had not forced herself awake.

With all of this going on inside the abode, while he was keeping himself rather quiet, simply standing in the front yard and looking upon the expansive estate, if she had the mind to direct her attention to her window instead of going onto her bed, Hotaru would've caught the sight of a young man gazing upward into her room. Garbed in a simple t-shirt of white and jeans, his hair, whilst in a strange fashion and curling in the back in a rather feminine style, he appeared to be ordinary. At least, he would've, if not for the strange creature draped over his shoulders. Whilst it bore an appearance in line with those in the feline class, it was most certainly no such thing. The ears were almost fin-shaped, and it bore two strands of fur, or maybe even tendrils extending from its ears to the front of its chest. The creature mewed, the sound reminiscent of a feline, yet even so, there was something 'off', as if there was an underlying inaccuracy of how the animal it most closely resembled.

"Yes," the boy answered the creature, sounding like his age indicated, though his speech was far more eloquent that what would perhaps be expected of him. "Perhaps it is time, Kishar. Though they would surely wish to see more of this place, there's still a task at hand, and if that is not completed, then none of us will be able to return here at all."

 **Hikawa Shrine**

At last, aside from the three main residents, the Hikawa Shrine was once again empty. A development that, while study sessions were the norm and welcome for the most part, Rei needed this place vacant for the most part, and not due to the need for some rest and relaxation. No, what she was going to be doing for probably the next few hours, it would take even more concentration and drive to push forward and tear through boundaries than any old school subject would require. These thoughts were running through her mind as she entered her room and came out just a few moments later, her school uniform discarded for a ivory haori, clean and washed, yet the activity she was going to be doing would certainly make it wet with sweat, especially in this summer heat. No matter though, as such was also the norm when she did this. Her socked feet moved towards the familiar room, red hakama swooshing lightly as the legs inside the pants continued forward until she opened the door leading to a simple, small space with a familiar pit in the center, perfect for burning.

To start and feed a fire.

The sky was becoming darker, and given both the season and heat that would be accumulating throughout the room, Rei would usually allow the sliding doors to be opened to at least allow some of the concentrated warmth to escape, but such would not happen tonight. Only if it grew too unbearable, yet tonight, she couldn't afford any interruptions. Not from her grandfather, not from Yuuichirou, no one. As the stack of halved logs in the small pit were lit, Rei sat herself down and clasped her hands together, pinkie, pointer, and thumbs of both hands touching whilst her middles and rings were closed and intertwined with each other. She could feel it, the fire was beginning to grow in size, her dark, mauve eyes opening as her vision was consumed with a flickering, continuously dancing collection of flames that beckoned and called for her to allow them to ease and coax her mind into a state of which she would hopefully find what she sought. To do so, she had to allow the flames to ebb her into such a state, and for that, she had to empty and cleanse her mind of all else but the dancing fire before her. Nothing and no one, save for the flames mattered, and though the giving of herself to these flames, would she be able to decipher what had been presented to her. Nothing and no one...she began to murmur, chanting under her breaths as her eyes, aside from the moments she needed to blink to re wet them, they did not waver from the fire. Nothing and no one...nothing and no one...nothing...nothing…

'Maybe it wouldn't have hurt to have asked about it.'

Damn it. She oh so despised the last minute musing that managed to seep into her still calm, meaning she had to do the process all over again. Even so, the thought in itself was something related to the reading she would be performing, making the raven haired young woman wonder if perhaps, even if there was a chance that none of them usually would've known what she was talking about...it might've not hurt to address it. Yet with that sentiment also brought the question as to whether or not she needed to at all, let alone, and probably most importantly, why she was experiencing these visions at all?

'And why now?'

It had been two years since the last major threat towards this planet, and as they came to learn, major threat to the entirety of the universe as they knew it, had been vanquished, and not a single occurrence has come to where she or any of the others needed to call upon their respective planet's powers. Not once, and yet she still returned night after night to the flames. Habitual? Perhaps, to a degree, yet the flickering embers had provided for her clarity and discernment for a time long before she had even come to awaken as the representative of the red planet. Whatever the case, even when she was young, she could always rely on the flame to reveal what she wished to understand to her, her trust never wavering from it, as not once in her eighteen years had it ever lied to her. What it would grant now, she could use, if she would be able to indeed find out, as evidence to present that maybe, just maybe, something might be starting up again. Not to mention, that while Rei herself was mainly the receiver of such things, given her already present, extrasensory abilities that existed since her birth, she found herself wondering, sometimes outright declaring it as such, that the others must've seen something. Something that came in the late hours of the night...something of some place that she couldn't have hoped to recognize, yet if history of such things had anything to go by, the sight she had seen would more likely than not come to bear at least some significance in the near future.

As she allowed these thoughts to travel through her mind as she conditioned herself further and further into a state of pure concentration, just before she would completely hand herself over to the beckoning fire, those two voices she heard rang through her mind.

'You stubborn fool! I'm going to finish you, just like I did your Earthling friend!'

'What do you mean? Are you talking about Krillin? Don't you dare talk about Krillin!'

 **A World Away**

 **Age 753, May 9th**

While the newer model of time machines were an improvement over the one he had traveled in, Trunks made a mental note to himself to perhaps discuss with Harry about maybe increasing the capacity, as while he knew what he was getting into, all six of them fitting inside proved to be more than just a somewhat small squeeze. The important thing now though was that they were all free, each member of the 'Taino Squad' along with Trunks up in the air and flying forward, and from the still ever present greenery below, they'd need to cover a good bit of distance before they would find their destination.

Yet according to the one stationed beside him, this potentially stretched out trip meant that she had better start up some sort of conversation, lest it get too boring for her tastes. "So...the bad guy here has already been taken care of?" the head of said group of five (now six), Taino, questioned, her yellow ponytail (even if it was essentially a part of her yellow flesh) fluttering wildly behind her. Her attire was nothing too extravagant or fancy, in fact, it was essentially standard armor that one would've found on any number of Saiyans, large shoulder pads and black outer shell, if anything, aside from her having a black bloomers for the lower half, she pretty much got the uniform down.

"Affirmative." one of the three behind Taino and Trunks confirmed, the synthesized voice indicating that the confirmation came from the only mechanical member of the group, Thirith. "Ironically too, as today was the day that he declared that every ninth of May would be declared 'Piccolo Day'."

This earned a snort filled chortle from the yellow Majin, she then looking back towards the full-blooded Saiyan in the back. "Well, looks like it's a good day for you, Pima!" she declared, Pima himself appearing somewhat embarrassed and flustered. "One big step for Saiyan kind, right?"

That was essentially Taino: cheerful and upbeat, even when she had declared herself multiple times to be a serious and dedicated leader. While Trunks couldn't exactly disagree with the latter, the former...he just assumed it was a trait that came unconsciously with her race. She, along with the rest of her squad members were the result of Trunks' continued 'employment' from the Supreme Kai of Time realizing that, while the time traveler had indeed pledged his services to her for said action, it became clear that there couldn't just be one person in her service helping her watch and take care of any threats to the Time Stream. His knowledge and ability to give her Capsule Corp.'s technology simply wasn't going to be enough, he wasn't going to be enough. Not that it was her saying his abilities were lacking, she had just come to see (thankfully, Trunks thought) that it was simply too much for one person. Thus, both of them went to find more, hire more, the number then began increasing to where a place outside of the Time Vault had to be developed to house the vast amount of various beings, both from current time periods and some from the distant future, resulting in the creation of not only Tokitoki City, yet also of the very organization that resided there: the Time Patrol.

From what the name suggested, the Time Patrol was essentially just that: patrollers and keepers of the natural flow and preservation of recorded events in the Time Stream, ridding of any potential opportunities for diversions and in turn, paradoxes. Something of which Trunks himself knew more than enough about, to his own chagrin.

"Odd that she'd allow us to have a task such as this." a low toned voice commented from the row of three behind Trunks and Taino. He was part of the Taino Squad, and thankfully so, for even with as much time that had passed since another member of his race's rather infamous actions, if not for this relation to the group's leader, it would've been simply a reaction from all of them to regard him with a good degree of caution and suspicion. Even more so that not only Trunks, yet a full-blooded member of the Saiyan race were flying with a member of the very same race that saw to the destruction of their kin. "Given not only of the Saiyan, Kakarot's involvement, yet that until this time, this was the largest threat that had come to the planet Earth."

"Also a time where my kind were thought to be demons." another cut in afterward, and whilst his statement was true, from simply analyzing his appearance, he didn't exactly look like the said race he was referring to. "And also a time before this planet even knew of what YOUR kind was capable of."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I think you know WELL what I mean-"

"Uh uh! No way!" Taino spoke up, her voice rising above the two currently about to engage in a rather heated argument. Trunks found that he had gone a few feet ahead yet none of the rest had, mainly because Taino had forced them all to stop, she glaring intensely at her squad members, particularly at a certain two with her hands on her hips. "We're not doing this! We've been given this mission by the Supreme Kai of Time herself and has the Taino Squad EVER let down the Supreme Kai before?" no one answered, both for the reason that whichever tasks they did receive were mainly not entirely hazardous and only were there to take care of some of the smaller details, yet also, even with these facts considered, they at least could hold onto their pride in not having failed in any of them yet. "We've all been waiting for this." the yellow Majin told them. "For I don't know how long, but we've finally got something big, and we've got the Supreme Kai's number one assistant with us, so all of this is going to get back to her! So we can NOT blow this!" this seemed to be more than enough to get them all to get back on track again, they all rejoining Trunks and continuing on. Yet after a few moments, patches of brown, aged stone able to be seen creeping into the field of green below indicating they were drawing closer, Taino blinked her bright, green eyes at the sword wielding halfling. Perhaps it was him simply reading too much into it, yet he could've sworn she was looking somewhat...'longingly' at him. "You WILL tell her about that, right? My speech and display of leadership?"

"Yeah, sure." he answered, though mainly due to her stare making him all the more uncomfortable. Yet even then, maybe that would've been better as he soon found her wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing him close in a very one-sided embrace.

"Great! I KNEW I could count on you!" thankfully, this didn't last too long, she letting go only after a few brief moments. "Guess that's why you're the Supreme Kai's number one Patroller!"

'Number one Patroller...more like number one source of free labor.' he thought, yet if he was going to give the small divine being a report of this, then it was very likely that Taino herself would be able to deliver his little remark if he let it slip.

Taino herself, along with the rest of her gang had been more recent additions to the Time Patrol, and therefore, weren't exactly up too high on the ladder when it came to been assigned particularly difficult and/or potentially life threatening assignments, yet the fact that they were being called for something like this...Trunks found himself growing more and more antsy. Not that he bore no faith in Taino or anything...well, perhaps it was not too solid, yet that wasn't the problem. Their ranking was simply a factor that was taken into account, as well as their status of being newcomers, yet the fact that they were allowed to go on this mission at all was because there was little to no one else available to take it. It had been something that, at first, was simply assumed to be that the members needed more time to deal with whatever occurrence that was taking place. At least until more and more time machines had to be taken out, and little to none of them came back. There was something going on, he was sure of it, all the more reason that he had been sent with Taino's group, both as a means to report back to the Supreme Kai as well as additional assistance and protection if need be. Even with some of those members belonging to such races as the Saiyans, Nameks, even Majins and Icejins.

The fact that in due time the very destructive creature Buu was would extend itself to that of a species was both a shock and source of great trepidation for many, especially given from where they would eventually come from, even if said source was the 'good' (yet still incredibly childish and just as apt to violent antics) half. From what his oh-so-responsible higher up had informed him, after the fiasco that transpired and the existence of Buu was erased from the people's minds, the pink blob would come to find a rather interesting novel in Mr. Satan's possession that detailed the rather 'intimate' relations of two individuals named Bob and Margaret. Relations that simply were so interesting and new to the heavyset, pink taffy thing, that he wanted to try out 'the birds and the bees' himself, and thus, after this would occur in the Age 790 on the seventh of May, he would craft himself a Miss Buu.

Along the line, by the age 1000, Taino would be one of the results between Good and Miss Buu's 'Love-Love Beam'. Yes, that was what the technique was called, though at least Trunks was grateful that it spared him the details of knowing HOW they'd be made the way he was familiar with, that small, pink woman seeming to go out of her way to make him hot and flustered even talking about it.

Of course, both due to his own pondering and to change the subject, he questioned her as to whether or not taking someone from the future would be, according to her own words, a crime akin to the one he had committed, yet she brushed it off. "The events of Age 790 and Age 1000 have yet to even occur, yet from how the events so far are going, this is the road it's going down. And yes, while you're right in the interference part, nothing is being rewritten in any sort. Think of it like this: YOU are technically still on Earth, yet also here, yet the main flow of the timeline isn't altered radically and nothing's been erased." while yes, he could somewhat understand that, she was essentially doing what he had in a sense, yet when she did it, it was apparently okay. Hypocrisy at its finest, he thought. "It'll only be a problem if said events don't occur. Yet that's what you're here for, right?"

For Taino's sake, he could only hope that the divine being was responsible enough to keep up with it. Given her origins, at least she was far more like the destructive creature's good half, both in personality and insatiable cravings for anything sugary. Though perhaps when her would be ancestor learned of procreation, it put an urge of sorts in the rest of them that spawned from the Love-Love Beam, Trunks seeming to catch the yellow skinned being staring at him from afar in the same manner she gazed upon a delectable dessert. At least he was somewhat able to gain some comfort in the fact that she was trying to project herself as a capable leader of her team, so maybe those little glances would be at a minimum.

The only full blooded Saiyan present, Pima, and the one that had come to alert Trunks of the Supreme Kai's summoning, was the first of the Taino Squad's members to be recruited, though contrary to Taino's claims of her winning him over easily, the task was not the simplest of tasks. Akin to Goku and his own father, Pima was a survivor of Frieza's destruction of Planet Vegeta, yet the tyrant hadn't even bothered with him, most likely not even knowing of his existence as he was shipped off in a capsule due to how weak and frail he was. A task done by his parents before they shared the same fate with their home and the majority of their race, yet the inhabitants of said planet seemed to mistake the child for being a potential danger due to his race's reputation. While their concerns were somewhat warranted to a degree, the most Pima did during his time there was go and kill local fauna just on the simple grounds of survival and food, the most violent he had gotten since he was confined from his childhood to now early adult years in a cave on the planet. When she had seen him in such a state while on a routine mission involving delivering extra rations to another dispatched team, Taino begged the Supreme Kai to allow him to join the Patrol, and given if he did indeed join, there would be no alterations, she allowed as such. At first, Pima had insisted that he had only taken the yellow Majin's offer simply due to the fact that there was a guaranteed opportunity he'd be able to fill his stomach (though Trunks wondered as to whether or not it was more pitiable that he found out the hard way that the gourmet meals promised to him by the Supreme Kai turned out to be anything but), it was obvious that was not the only reason. He never openly stated it, something of which Trunks simply assumed was a trait of the race, particularly his own father (and to a degree, himself), yet he suspected that Pima was more than a little receptive of the fact that this complete stranger was willing to go out of her way and try to get him out of the conditions he was living in, something of which that had cemented his utmost loyalty to the yellow Majin.

The third member of her squad, however, held not as much of a history. Thirith was little more than a simple, Capsule Corp. android developed by Trunks with the rest of it taken over by the ever-so-faithful Harry, most notably, the programming. Bearing a circular, stout body with a thin pair of arms and claws for hands and no legs, simply 'floating' in place as opposed to actually standing. A part of the Demi-Saiyan wondered if whether or not Taino simply chose him due to the fact that his name sounded somewhat like 'three' or 'third', yet she was insistent and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. He didn't seem to mind, mainly appearing to be indifferent regarding her bouts of enthusiasm and declaring that they were unstoppable and whatever else came out of her mouth. He mainly regarded it as Trunks had: silly and more than a little childish, yet overall, harmless and to a small degree, somewhat endearing.

Ukatz, as ironic as it was given the presence of a robot and an even more bizarrely shaped Icejin in the group, hailed from New Namek, yet just from looking at him, many wouldn't have even recognized him as such if not for the telltale antennae protruding from his head. No such pigment of green was shown on his skin, being overtaken by a bright, vibrant shade of purple and a fine like appendage stationed atop of his head. He wore a gi and leggings similar to Pima, minus any undershirt and a dark navy accompanied with pants of bright orange. The shoes were the traditional Namekian wear, yet aside from that and his antennae, they were the only things that perhaps would've linked him to his people. Even he knew not why he looked the way he did, though from the opinions of both the residents of New Namek and others around Tokitoki City, it was possibly the result of mutations beginning to spring up in the race's genetic code, indicating that maybe, just like the case with more Majins springing up, more like him would be born in the near future. Of course, he didn't exactly see this potential development with any sort of hopefulness. Like Pima, Ukatz seemed to resign himself to the fact that he wasn't accepted by his own kind, and while the Namekians, outside of some particular members, didn't bear as large of a violent history compared to Saiyans, the abnormalities of the particular being were indeed more than a little noticeable. He perhaps was one of, maybe even the first, of his kind to appear like he did, so he decided to leave and take Taino's offer to join her troupe. Whilst he certainly reminded Trunks of another member of the green skinned race, Ukatz seemed to certainly bear more than a good enough connection and bit of homesickness with his home, though that also brought the question as to why he felt he needed to leave. Maybe it was the same with Piccolo Jr. and his situation.

The same that perhaps Taino felt as well when she saw Pima: they were attached to a certain race and/or individual with a notable history, yet didn't or couldn't fit the mold that was projected onto them or conform to what they were expected to be. It was just a theory, yet Trunks suspected that's also what drew her to taking in the squad's most current and surprising addition, even to the vastly diverse collection of warriors of Tokitoki City. As his name suggested, Iaas was from what was commonly referred to as, even if that wasn't the actual name of said group, 'Frieza's race', an Icejin. While he bore horns and a similar body to Frieza's first form, the main difference being that his pigments mainly consisted of blues and greens, Iaas bore absolutely no relation or even knowing of Frieza's existence for a good while...at least until some of those Frieza had incidentally hurt and had torn their families and lives apart decided to take said rage and thirst for vengeance out on him and his own family. In fact, if it wasn't for the Patrol members being there at the right time, he very well could have lost his life to those enraged citizens of the planet they were on, it being doubtful at first as to whether or not he would even pull through. When he did eventually recover though, and as well when Taino approached him, everyone thought she was insane for taking him in. A Saiyan, a full-blooded Saiyan was one thing, the Time Patrol having a handful of those, yet someone like Iaas!? An Icejin?! Not to mention that he and a surviving member of the race one of his own people saw to destroying was quite the subject for a good while. Even the Supreme Kai herself was somewhat puzzled, yet even for, as much of a flake Trunks knew she could be, she certainly wasn't heartless and more than allowed him to stay, actually even encouraging Iaas to take Taino's offer. After all, even if he was part of the same race as the infamous planet conqueror and destroyer, it was clear that he bore none of Frieza's penchant for bloodshed and destruction, thus, he was welcome. It seemed to go that way for the rest of Taino's squad members as well, even Pima didn't seem too apprehensive about allowing Iaas into their group...and then there was Ukatz. Ukatz immediately voiced his disapproval in allowing the Icejin to join, let alone have anything to do with an organization such as the Time Patrol, keepers of peace when he came from nothing but a history of causing misery. Taino, of course, immediately reminded him of whom the squad's leader was and as long as she held that position, Iaas would be a part of their team AND the Time Patrol for as long as he saw fit to be.

As Trunks saw it, all five of these individuals, while not exactly the strongest of what the Time Patrol had to offer, they at least held a good amount of chemistry and similarities with each other when their histories were analyzed. In a sense, perhaps, the lilac haired time traveler could link it to his own friendship with Gohan...at least, what had been his friendship, because now, it seemed he, the other him, was bonding more so with Goku's younger child. Though it was for the better, and yes, even with all of it said and done, he could say that he'd do it a thousand times over, even if it meant that he would come to realize that what he had done was irreversible. That all the things he had come to know and be familiar with...all of it...even with as ruined as his world was, it was still his...yet now...

"Oooh, this is so exciting, isn't it?!" the high-pitched, bubbly voice of the upbeat Majin giggled, thankfully breaking Trunks out of that recounted realization and bringing him back to the present. "I mean, yeah we've been out before on things, but something like this: what happened here is HUGE!"

"To an extent." Thirith interjected, Taino immediately scowling. "It's true." the small, round android defended. "It's far from the most potentially catastrophic event recorded, yet given the time we are current in and the existence of Saiyans or Namekians not yet being a widely known fact, it is still rather significant."

Even with his correct statement, the yellow Majin was far from pleased, grumbling to herself about the 'tin can always having to kill my buzz' or something along those lines, Trunks couldn't exactly tell.

"Still, perhaps it was a 'good time', so to speak." Iaas stated. "Given the good number of years that followed, it was a better time. A more optimistic time."

"A time that didn't last." Ukatz cut in, as if waiting for the Icejin to speak so he could insert his own commentary on the situation. "For more than a few reasons."

"What did I JUST tell you?!" the booming (yet still hilariously high pitched) voice of their leader questioned, the spat that was about to break out dying before it could even get started, Taino giving Trunks a wink as if to say 'put that on the report'. If it'd get her to avert her eyes from him for more than a few minutes, then so be it.

Yet currently, Trunks' main focus was on the surrounding environment, eyes peeled and ready to spot any sort of oddity or out of place element. At least, they would be, if he could distinctly SEE any sort of thing. The lush flora and dense forests had long since gone by, even the simple, bare, yet still fertile fields, little more than dry, rocky canyons below them. They were approaching the scene of where the climatic battle of the then young Saiyan child and evil half of the Lookout's former chief denizen, yet if that was the case, why were their energy signatures so diminished? He could still sense them, yes, yet they were FAR from, as they should've. Especially given what was taking place, their Ki should've been near to at their very peaks, yet it was taking just about as much of his own concentration to even pinpoint where they were.

Luckily for him and the rest of her team, "Look! There they are! You see? You see?!" Taino was all the more ready to declare loudly, potentially giving them away, yet still, they had indeed found what, or rather, whom they were looking for.

High above, though to them, it was just a few feet above, the sight of a child garbed in an orange, martial arts gi and pants penetrating the chest cavity of a green skinned, aged Namekian was just ahead. Indeed, from the looks of it, while neither of the figures noticed the group of six approaching them, it seemed to look like the events recorded for this day and age were playing out just as they were supposed to. That was what everyone's conclusion was at first...until the next few moments that transpired 'played' out. As it had happened, this was the moment that King Piccolo would produce his offspring, the separated half of Kami beginning to develop a large bulge in his throat, obviously belonging to the egg that contained and would later grow to be Goku's next biggest threat. Yet the Demon King...something was not looking right. Not right at all. They all could feel it as well, the green figure's Ki seeming to fluctuate like made, rising up and down, up and down as if it was having trouble maintaining itself. The egg that held Piccolo Jr. never exited his throat, seemingly stuck, King Piccolo himself seeming to begin choking on it, clasping at his overly stretched throat and making motions as if his lungs were starved for air. Yet that soon became only a minor note compared to what transpired next, for King Piccolo, as his observers saw, began to 'lose form'.

It was so strange and bizarre, yet that was what it appeared to be like. His limbs began to transition spastically from what they were supposed to look like to a thing, angular shaped and spindly thing that the only true comparison that any of them could liken it to was that of electricity, bright violet or magenta in color and facial features losing their former placement and shapes as well. Yet these details were only seen in brief, passing moments as the writhing figure that appeared to be in a considerable amount of pain, both from the hole in his (it's?) chest and the large object that was supposed to exit its throat, said pain eventually becoming too much as the already bright flashes and surges traveling throughout this deconstructing doppelganger grew to their peak and the misshapen form essentially was disintegrated, bits and pieces of what had come off from the now obsolete source breaking down until little more but specks were left.

"Okay...so..." Taino began, dragging out her words uncomfortably as the scene wasn't exactly pleasing to see. "Anyone want to have a go at what that was?" of course, then she remembered that she had someone she made a member just for such questions. "Thirith! What's going on here?"

The smaller robot was taken aback with the sudden command, yet indeed, he attempted to study and analyze both what was around them and what they all had just seen. Yet he was finding that he was having difficulty finding such a conclusion. "Look!" of course, thankfully, that would be able to come later, yet even still, the robot came to see that it meant that there would be more that his processor would have to work with and dissect. "Down there!"

Iaas was the first to notice it, Taino sending him, Trunks, and Ukatz down towards the ground whilst she, Pima, and Thirith stayed airborne, as while the strange being that had been imitating (if that was what they could even call it) King Piccolo had gone, the scene was still very much not playing out normally. Goku was still present, that much was certain, yet that was essentially all he did. The child savior hadn't moved an inch since he had flown through the false demon king's chest, frozen in the air, his wild, charcoal black hair still kept in the shape of flying back as if the stiff fibers were fighting against the wind.

"What's wrong with him?" Pima questioned, the Capsule Corp. robot scanning and examining the now stagnant Goku.

"His Ki appears to be at a reasonable level and state, given what had occurred here." Thirith started. "And yet...wait a moment." his single, green eye began flashing red, both Pima and Taino at first puzzled as to what was triggering the robot's alert system, yet their own senses picked up on something alarming as well. This realization, whatever it was, would perhaps be linked to the other group's half own findings down below.

Though he was somewhat wondering if whether or not he should've declared it as such, the fact that this...whatever it was appeared just below where the slaying of King Piccolo took place, or by that bizarre thing posing as him being an indication, would've taken place was too much of a coincidence for Trunks to ignore. If not for Iaas spotting it, it was very possible that it might've been passed over entirely. For unlike the Saiyan child above as well as that thing, this particular oddity bore absolutely no energy signature. None at all. Rather fitting to a degree, as from what the three saw, it appeared to be a literal gateway to nothing. Amidst the barren, cracked Earth was what appeared to be a 'slit' in the ground, as if one had taken a sharp object and made such an indentation in the crust of the dry area. Yet perhaps that wasn't even the appropriate comparison, as unlike any sort of feat Trunks could perhaps do with his sword, there was no jagged edges in the small crack, no diverting lines or areas where smaller cracks began to form and diverge from the main source. It was simply a clean, perfectly straight slice through the ground that, while using the Earth below at its holding place, didn't bend or conform to the natural shape of what was below it, making it all the more unusual.

"What do you make of it?" the violet skinned Namekian questioned, Trunks wishing to answer; yet his mind was still piecing together the sudden possibility that sprung forth just now. Something of which that he was hoping he was wrong about.

Oh, he hoped and PRAYED to Dende and every single Kai that was and had been in existence that he was wrong.

"Well, this has got to ring some bells for you, am I right?" the moment his and everyone else's ears had detected a low, sultry, feminine voice echoing throughout the area, two incredibly strong signatures that had been concealed had decided to reveal themselves out to the open. "Of course, it looks like the munchkin's REALLY desperate to have to send this lot out."

"I knew it. Of course YOU would be involved in this somehow..." Trunks growled, sword drawn and ready to strike at the ready. Ukatz and Iaas both readied themselves as well, the rest of the Taino squad above also keeping alert for when the owner of the familiar voice would reveal herself in the open, her dearest partner following suit.

"Who else, little man?" she crooned, hidden from their view, yet they were far from hidden from hers or her husband's, purple lips parting to reveal a white, coy smirk. "Though to a degree, it IS good that she would send these amateurs out here. It just means that the rest of her slightly better employees are right where they should be."

The grip on his weapon's hilt tightened, Ukatz speaking his mind before he had the chance to. "Evil witch!" the mutant Namekian roared, his Ki flaring. "What have you done to them?!"

"Rest assured, deformed one." she sneered. "They're safe...somewhat. And whilst your performance against us will be far from desirable compared to them..." the reverberating echo of an object purposefully hitting itself against the dry Earth drew their attention, the two culprits, Towa and her creation, Mira, standing a short distance away from the scene, atop of formation that stood only just a few feet above the dark, ill-fitting slit in the ground and in turn, the three that were around it. "Yet that little thing there is a very much needed piece in our goal, and we can't have you interfering for much longer, now can we, Mira?"

"Enough of this." the larger male snarled. "Sending me against these runts is an outright insult! Just let me send them all into oblivion!"

The smaller woman turned her head towards the artificial demon. Usually a good punishment would be in order for him talking in such a way to her, yet now, the most she could shrug at his outburst. Besides, it wouldn't be as if she'd send him to do anything else. "Fine. Do what you wish. Bathe the entire field with their blood if you wish." she immediately noticed his Ki flaring and his lips curling into a sadistic smile. "Just make sure they're kept moderately busy. I'll send them to where they need to be..."

 **Time Nest**

The ivory-feathered owl furrowed his aged brow. All he was doing was simply making a suggestion, not outright saying she had to do this, so why was she being so adamant about it?! "Kii!" he squawked, his patience already having begun to dwindle.

Something of which was shared by both of them as the pink skinned Kai still stood her ground. "No, for the last time! I am NOT calling her!" she answered back. "Not even to keep her on standby or even just to say 'hi'. I'm not calling her PERIOD!" As if to signify she wasn't going to continue debating with him, Chronoa folded her arms and turned away from the owl perched on the Time Vault's center platform, careful to not knock any of the scrolls off from their places. "I can handle this one my own." she stated, Tokitoki about to inquire as to what happened to her supposed ending of this particular conversation, yet she continued. "I wasn't allowed to take care of you since you were a chick for no reason, you know. And there's a lot more people around here to help protect you. Even then..." her fingers gripped firmly onto the fabric on her arms, teeth biting down hard on her bottom lip. "It wouldn't kill you to have just a LITTLE faith in me, you know."

"Kiii..." Tokitoki cooed. Surely she knew that was not what he was insinuating, that she couldn't protect him. She had done so for more than a good portion of the very universe's existence, and those particular incidents of where he was marginally threatened were far and in between. Even with as much as he admittedly adored prodding and picking and generally giving her a hard time, the owl would never go to such a level as that. "Kii, kii. Kii, kii, kii." all he was suggesting is that maybe, given that there was a good number of staff 'on duty', even if both she and he believed that something else was going on for sure, she may take some extra precautions. "Kii! Kii, kii, kii!"

"What do you mean by that?!" Chronoa couldn't believe what he had just said to her. "Are you suggesting that I don't care if my own Time Patrol is in trouble or not?!"

"Kii, kii, kii!"

"I am not...it has NOTHING to do with pride!" she protested. "And why do you think I sent Trunks out? To protect Taino and her crew, and to find out maybe what's been going on and why the other guys haven't come back yet! And when they do, I'll...I'll think of something. You'll see." it wasn't as if the bird wasn't wrong. The issue was quite a pressing matter, yet..."I'm not like how I was then. Both in the beginning and when he broke out and tried to take you. And..." though perhaps it could've been viewed as somewhat selfish, an act of self preservation, yet the bird knew well what would happen if he would end up in the wrong hands, and it would affect far more than what occurred outside of his own domain. "And she's probably busy anyway."

"Kii..."

"I mean, I don't know. Watching over YOU is enough of a job as it is. Even if all she has to do is stand in front of a door, anybody that tries to get past her is dealt with in ways I frankly don't want to know about." she at least assumed that was the case, even if it had been such a long while since the two keepers of time had even seen each other. Besides, while perhaps, maybe, just maybe, she MAY consider calling her, if the last time was any indication, she would not be particularly pleased with it. If Pluto was anything, it was probably the most accurate example of a hard case she could come up with, Trunks still not realizing how close he truly came to maybe having his life potentially threatened had she not been present to deal with him. "And...time flows far quicker than it does here. After all, it was only when she told me that her Princess and her protectors were being born again did I even know that something had even happened to the Moon Kingdom. Well, at least before Pluto saw to take her to what WOULD become its succeeding replacement. Nestled on the Earth, ironically enough and dubbed 'Crystal Tokyo'. Though not as much time had passed there to where such a place would've even been established yet, if her calculations were correct, the Princess, or more appropriately, the Queen, would be nearing the age where it would soon begin to become a reality. 'Certainly be better than looking down at a bunch of stagnant, motionless girls stationed in crystal coffins.' she thought, a chill running up her spine as those memories of her and Pluto essentially extracting energy from what she at first assumed to be corpses (though the reveal didn't make it much better as they were still held in a frozen state).

The fact he was bringing this up, along with why the possibility was even coming to her mind...maybe it DID mean that she should turn the option from a 'maybe' to at least a 'do it later'. But only, ONLY if she had to. It was more likely than not just Towa and Mira going around causing trouble yet again, yet if, just if 'he' was somehow involved...then calling Pluto would only be a last resort. It was selfish on her part, Chronoa admitted it, hell, it was far more selfish than Tokitoki's own desire for safety, for he made it clear that he didn't wish it at the expense of all those under her command. Yet that was what she was going to do! If those two dared to try something big, like teaming up with 'him', assuming that they would even be able to find him at all, then she'd break out the big guns and save the day!

'Should this place and time ever be in peril...they will come.'

"Well...you're not going to have to worry about that, because that's not ever going to-"

"KIIII!" though the howl that emitted from the owl was more than enough to rattle her, Chronoa could far from chide him for it as she herself sensed the very same thing he had. It was so sudden that there was no possible way that either of them could've prepared themselves for it, yet the collective surge of flaring, soaring levels of Ki meeting and assaulting their senses immediately alerted the two of them that something was very, very wrong. There were no disturbances in the Time Nest itself, no, these surges, the source came from the city outside of the realm itself. Energy that belonged to her own Time Patrollers, the ones that were still here anyway, they were in fierce combat with other sources of rather frighteningly strong Ki, yet these particular individuals were definitely not ones she had recognized or sensed even once in either the Time Nest or Toki Toki City.

"SUPREME KAI!" the voice that called to her was thankfully answered by both the one he had called for and the one this place was constructed to protect. At the very least, he could do this. If the condition of his body was any indication, it'd be the very least, and last thing he could do.

Stationed on the stone pathway leading up to the very building she and Tokitoki had formerly been in was a battered and bruised Namekian garbed in darkly colored clothing, the mask that was usually kept over his mouth having slipped from its original placement, undoubtedly caused by the beating he had received from whatever or whoever had done this to him. Yet that wasn't what drew the Kai's or bird's attention. Rather, it was the fact that it seemed that portions of him, quite literally, appeared to have been 'bitten off'. From his lower calves all the way up to even his small antennae, it seemed as if chunks and pieces of his very body had been torn off, yet the wounds themselves didn't appear to be physical in nature, at least not entirely. Instead of allowing violet liquid to flow from the areas, as most injuries would lead to for a Namekian, the areas appeared to simply be slowly reforming, as if his own form was correcting the damage that had been done to him, keeping himself and those areas from disintegrating any further, lest he come apart completely.

Chronoa would've asked the warrior as to who, let alone what, had done this to him, yet these particular wounds, the way that they were obviously causing him great pain, yet they bore no blood, and how his body tried to make those portions form again, come back together, prevent them from being erased...she didn't ask because she knew already what had made these wounds. The very things, the beings that, if she was correct, as much as the prospect was terrifying to her, were in her domain right at this moment. "Tokitoki," she began, a heavy, rattled sigh easing its way through her lips. "Stay with him." she ordered, despite the bird's protests and worries of her safety, she making her way towards the entranceway leading to the city outside. "If I'm not back in a minute or so...fly with him to the door."

 **Earth**

 **Age 753, May 9th**

It wasn't the best move on his part, Pima recognized that much. Even Taino had ordered him to come back, demanding he return as he quickly descended with his fist outward to deliver a blow to the android's gut. Such a maneuver did little to the far larger, blue being, yet Mira was aiming a concentrated blast of Ki directly at her and Thirith, not to mention the still airborne, but motionless Goku. To simply allow him to attack his allies, even with how much of a weakling he himself was, to allow him to attack her...he would rather die. Mira apparently realized this sentiment as well, and he was more than ready and willing to make such a possibility. His knee struck the Saiyan's lower abdomen, he then placing one hand on his chest and delivering a hot blast of Ki, propelling the red suited man back several feet, crashing into the ground. He then directed his attention to the two other members above, several smaller, yet still hazardous blasts of Ki being shot at them. Though they managed to dodge a good few of them, Taino was struck in the back by the burning sensation as she attempted to shield both Thirith and Goku from the onslaught, moving to get the two of them out of the way. Yet whilst she was successful in getting the small robot a distance away, to her horror, the Saiyan child didn't budge. In fact, she felt nothing solid underneath her palm as she pushed, her hand phasing through his very body.

"Damn...damn you..." Pima choked out, struggling to get to his feet, yet both to his surprise, as well as irritation, Ukatz saw fit to step in, Mira and Towa abandoning where they had once been, Mira now combat with the violet skinned Namekian in the air whilst his darling wife saw to deal with the meddlesome, uninvited trespassers below.

Taking note of the still struggling Pima, the demon woman's eyes took note of the still stagnant Goku. 'Oh, why not? Besides, it shouldn't be too much longer anyway.' Positioning one of the ends of her staff upward at the child, a sphere of dark, violet energy developed at its tip, yet a long, prehensile tail slapped the weapon's end away just in time, the projectile ball of energy simply flying off to the side, making a sizable indent in one of the nearby walls of rock. The Icejin didn't have much time to revel in this small victory though as Towa simply transitioned from setting her sights on Goku to the one that had just intercepted her. Besides, as he saw to his horror too late, her hands were just capable of delivering blows as her staff. As soon as he fell from the blow delivered to his backside, she sensed another presence coming at her at a rapid pace, dodging the blade of the halfling's sword by mere inches, leaping back a good few feet away whilst Trunks took the injured Iaas in his hold.

For his sake, he had to set him down, the Icejin stationed at his feet, yet Trunks held no intention on simply abandoning him, and judging by the look on the woman's face, he had made more than enough of a gesture that they were not simply toys for her and her husband's sadistic pleasure. "Start talking!" he demanded, he leaping a moment before she had to combat him, the echoes of his blade making contact and blocking her staff ringing throughout the valley. "What have you done to the other members?!"

"My, quite quick to throw out accusations, aren't we?!" Towa coyly remarked, not letting up on keeping the coat wearing swordsman's weapon away from her, alternating between offense and defense in the same manner he was giving her. "Not to say you're wrong. Took you long enough."

"I KNEW that!" Trunks retorted. "Something like this has YOU written ALL over it!" she was enjoying every second of this that damned smirk of her still plastered onto her features. Yet that bout of confidence at riling up the young man was what lead to the single moment of carelessness. It was a swift movement, yet when she aimed her staff's end to deliver a shot of energy towards his chest, the sensation of the skin of her cheek being sliced came to her attention, she releasing said energy that was now off aim, only sending Trunks back away from her.

Indeed, from the warm liquid that she could feel seeping from a diagonal cut on her cheek, Towa's blood began to boil. He dared smear her perfect face?! Oh, if he wished to play like THAT, no matter. She knew the rules well.

"Guys!" Ah, how convenient. The yellowed skinned wad of taffy was also inadvertently right where she wanted her to be, Mira sensing this as well. "Bad news!" the female Majin called, Thirith following down with her as she flew to Trunks and Iaas. "It's Goku! He's-" the rest of her sentence was lost in a pained cry as she felt a far larger, heavier body being thrust into her side, sending her plummeting to the ground. Trunks got Iaas out of the way, revealing that Ukatz had been, quite literally, thrown at his leader. Thirith was still in the air, barely able to dodge the Namekian's body, and soon, Pima came to him, ready to go forth and begin fighting again, yet the robot urged him to stay back.

"Her staff." the robot stated softly. "Don't you feel it? There's a strong amount of magic developing in the end of her staff."

Indeed, Pima could now sense it, focusing on the demon woman instead of his own frustrations, the source, while not entirely visible, there were a good few surges and sparks beginning to escape from the end gestured towards the ground. "I'll congratulate you on this, little man." Towa told Trunks, cupping her cut cheek, ivory brow furrowing for a moment before becoming the flawless (at least in her mind, which was all that mattered) visage of perfection. "You're halfway decent." the flickering at the golden tip continued, yet she wouldn't release it. Not yet. No, this moment, despite Demigra's own command of it not being 'too soon', had to be perfectly timed. "But only half." she continued. "Both for even being foolish enough to fall for that nonsense the pink munchkin told you and...well, even if genetics were kinder to you than you deserved, there's not much help for you there. Your friend Gohan was one thing, but the Saiyan's own Prince producing a bastard child? Frankly, I didn't believe it at first."

Bastard child? A hell spawn such as herself was addressing him as a bastard child? That in itself wasn't what truly infuriated him, the fact she had dared to refer to Gohan of all people by such a disrespectful...it couldn't be helped, and frankly, he didn't care. If not for the others around him reminding him of how striking could very well lead to something worse, Trunks allowed at least some of the familiar, golden aura to begin radiating around him, hair beginning to stand upward.

"Oh, I wouldn't go all out yet. At least not on me." The ivory haired woman sneered. "After all, these five are far from anything decent to go up against. Such a disappointment for my dear Mira." the far larger, aforementioned android then landed by her side as if on cue, casting her an indifferent glance before casting his cold eyes back on the five fallen figures and one still capable of battle. So tempting...yet if he gave into his burning lust for blood, he knew well that she'd tweak more than a few wires. "But as for your former question...you're right. These changes...or, I suppose you could say, distortions, they are our doing. But I only mention this because it's required: we're not doing it entirely of our own accord."

Pima could stand it no longer, even with Thirith urging and demanding that he stay put. "You suggest that we just stay here and do nothing?!" he argued. "My...YOUR comrades are about to be killed and you simply wish to stay up here and observe?!"

"If it means that our higher vantage point will allow us a better chance at saving them from certain death, then yes!" though far smaller than he, Capsule Corp. creation still held the ability to put most, if not all of the other members in their place. "Besides, she's preparing an attack that I've never registered before."

"What kind of attack?"

"I'm unsure right now. It bears energy similar to when she creates a wormhole...and yet..." he couldn't entirely explain it. It felt similar, but there were still a handful of differences. She was creating something, or holding something in the tip of her staff, a portal of some kind, yet the energy felt somewhat 'off'.

"Then whose accord is it?" Trunks questioned, Ki flaring and ready to finalize the transition into his elated form at any moment.

"Ask the munchkin, she'll tell you." Towa stated. "Or maybe she already has. I don't really have interest on what you two talk about." her eyes fell on the slit in the ground, lips curling devilishly. "And if you're curious, yes, that there is also due to our collective effort. Surely she must've told you that much, of how altering and changing history can lead to many disastrous things happening?" yes, his features, angered as they were, told her as much. "The main difference is that, unlike either of you or that pathetic lot that couldn't entertain my dear creation here, the results of changing history matter little to me. But, before I allow you all to be sent to your deaths...I'll let you in on a recent discovery I came upon." finally, now it was time! Lifting her staff's end up, the pointed edge shot forward a black, blinding flash of pure energy towards them all, Trunks bracing himself for whatever would come, yet found that it was necessarily him or the others she was aiming at. He only came about this discovery because he felt the Earth beneath him give way. "That munchkin of yours might've made it difficult to find, but it certainly wasn't impossible!"

 **Toki Toki City-Plaza of Time**

She wasn't exactly expecting a pleasant sight when she exited, yet her expectations, whilst not entirely optimistic, certainly weren't prepared for what she was presented with.

Frankly, the city, or at the portion she was in, was in shambles, the once, perfectly picturesque environment, from the planted roots of imported bamboo to the red, oriental bridges and even the pedestal to where the Dragon Balls would rest if their power were to be needed, were heavily damaged or torn apart completely. The fact that there wasn't as much architectural work aside from the bridge and platform done in this particular section perhaps served to make the destruction less than it could've been, yet what was available to demolish or at the very least damage had indeed been done. Yet this in itself wasn't the most alarming element noticed by Chronoa. No, what truly griped her was how for all that was strewn about and some of it right in front of her, there was not a single indication that someone else was here with her in this section of the city, someone she recognized at least. Not one familiar signature could be found, and she searched frankly, senses seeking some trace, even the smallest surge of energy that belonged to one of her Time Patrollers, or at least one of the hired mechanics. These attempts were resulted in simply alerting her that, to her shock, confusion, and terror, that there was not one soul here, at the present, with her.

That said, that far from meant there no souls here at all. The sound of footsteps and the owners of said footsteps coming into view proved that much.

What were the source of these oncoming, approaching bearers of destruction that surely knew something about what had happened here, but five darkly dressed, menacing, young...women? Indeed, though neither of them were entirely comprehending of the situation, there was no mistaking it: before them stood five, young women, each garbed in a black, tight body suit of sorts from neck to toe with round, tear-shaped rings of gold around their wrists and ankles. A collar of white was around their necks with what appeared to be a tie with an amulet or some piece of jewelry stationed at the top, each having corresponding colors and relating to their uniforms, their foreheads adorned with a tiara with a diamond cut gemstone following the same pattern, save for the center one who's tiara bore a triangular shape. From right to left, the young women were accounted for: a girl with long, flowing light blonde hair and maroon eyes and orange coloring on the right of her suit, a rather stern, fierce looking girl with long, wavy, light brown hair held up in a long ponytail and eyes of green as well as green markings. In the center stood a young girl with long, flowing pigtails adorned with ruby red ribbons, her suit bearing patches of purple, the one beside her a rather dull, emotionless figure with indigo, short hair and narrowed, lilac eyes. The last and final girl was about as fearsome as the green, yet unlike her, she seemed to bear an untamable ferocity, her eyes burning red and wavy, mahogany locks tied back in a low ponytail.

"Can I…help you?" the pink woman questioned, knowing well that whoever these young ladies were, they were certainly no Time Patrollers that she knew of. Better yet, she suspected they had a good hand in the state the plaza was in now.

"Actually, yes you can." The girl stationed in the center answered, holding out her palm. Though both the woman and bird were curious, it soon became apparent by the dark, swirling, violet energy that began to form above her hand that she was NOT extending it out to greet them. "You can start by directing us to where we can find the Scrolls of Eternity."

Scrolls of Eternity? How did they...WHO were they?! The Supreme Kai eyed the pulsating orb that formed in the young woman's palm, making it more than clear that she was ready and willing to use force, if need be. "I don't know who you ladies are, but this is obviously no place to be firing off however you please." She stated, their height, to her dismay (and envy), actually working to intimidate her, yet she knew that her duty came before whatever fear had been ignited. "Nor are such things as the scrolls a matter to concern yourself with. I think it best if you just leave."

"Aw, look at that, Sin." The maroon haired girl stated, her tone bearing a mocking tone as if what she found to be amusing. "The wittle pink midget is trying to act tough!"

"Pink...midget?" The small woman's brow twitched, fear now being burned away by fury. "What did you just call me?!"

"Still your tongue, Nergal." The blue haired one said, lilac eyes still dull and lifeless. "You can jest however you wish WHEN our task is accomplished…" she then gazed to the girl, whose anger had been aroused. "Though I would be a liar if I didn't say I wish your had no tongue at all."

"You wanna say that again, Nabu?!" she spat out, her hand reaching over to seize the one who insulted her before the one bearing the long, brown ponytail seized her by the wrist.

"Calm yourself!" she ordered, the girl now known as Nergal retorting with a glare, yet she did begrudgingly obey. "Shaman sent us here for a job, and the job is to be done QUICK."

"Marduk's right." The one with long, flowing, blonde hair added. "Shaman and Demigra are going to be mad if we stay here too long."

The pink woman's eyes widened, the chill in her spine instantaneous upon the latter name reaching her pointed ears. 'Wha...what did you just say?!'

"For once, Ishtar, you actually have your head in the game…" the pigtailed girl responded, the other blonde blushing slightly in response.

They knew him?! HIM?! Him and this 'Shaman' individual? Who was that? Let alone, who would be ally themselves with Demigra, let alone be able to find him..."Towa and Mira..." The Kai of Time spoke aloud, soon regretting so as she had once again drawn their attention onto her much smaller, very outnumbered form. Yet that was of no consequence. After all, did these five beings even know whom they were talking to? "Answer me this: who are you, and what could you possibly have to do with Demigra?!" she asked, all the while keeping her eyes on the energy pulsating in her hand.

"Well I think it's safe to say that these four don't need to introduce themselves, but since you asked…" the pigtailed, young woman stepped closer, the rosy-skinned woman inwardly cursing her as she practically towered over her. "My name is Sin. And whatever connection we have with Demigra is only through our dear Shaman Apsu. Someone of which you've never heard of, so there's no need to ask. But I'm sure you've heard of a certain Kingdom on the Moon. As well as a Crystal Tokyo?" the bravado and sense of authority was battling for control over the bombshell that had just been delivered to Chronoa, she keeping her eyes firm and as intimidating as she could, all the while stepping back closer and closer to where she had once entered from. "We're on assignment to find the Time Nest, more importantly, the Scrolls of Eternity." it was then that the doorways leading to the other sectors of the city began to sizzle and lose its once smooth, flowing form, as if a lot of something was attempting to work its way through all at once. "Not for us...but for our 'friends'. And seeing, as none of your employees were willing to tell us…" the orb of energy was now growing to the point where it soon couldn't be contained anymore. "...perhaps you would be so kind as to do so?"

 **Note: As with the last chapter 1, it's late, and it'll take me another hour or so to get to sleep. Once again, I would like to thank all that have been patient and with me on this since day one, here's hoping I can deliver a better, improved version for you, and I hope to see you guys next time! Please let me know if you've seen any errors I missed!  
**


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